TRANSPORT

Age Discrimination

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to address the issue of age discrimination.

David Jamieson: My Department has a commitment to removing all unfair discrimination, which includes on the basis of age, and has integrated age into its Equal Opportunities Statement.
	My Department adopted recommendations from the "Winning the Generation Game" report, including offering staff the opportunity of working until 65. In advance of the legislation coming in 2006, the Department has also adopted best practice in removing date of birth from the recruitment process and advertising vacancies in a range of press, aimed at all age ranges.

Airports

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2003, column 42W, when he will publish the consultation paper on night restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports.

John Spellar: I wrote to the hon. Member on 15 April referring to my written statement of 8 April 2003, Official Report, column 9WS, announcing publication of the consultation paper.

Airports

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the responses concerning Alconbury airfield to the first public consultation on The Future Development of Air Transport in the UK (South East) will be considered in the second public consultation.

David Jamieson: All responses received so far, including those concerning Alconbury and all other options in the South East and UK will be considered, together with any responses that are submitted before the new closing date of 30 June 2003. The consultation has been extended from its original closing date of 30 November 2002; this is a continuation of the consultation launched on 23 July last year, not a separate consultation exercise.
	Anyone who has already responded may, if they wish, add to, replace or amend their earlier response(s). We will consider all consultation responses before making decisions in the air transport White Paper, which we aim to publish later this year.

Public Service Agreement

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (a) how many and (b) what grades of officials are responsible for the monitoring of progress towards the public service agreement targets of his Department.

David Jamieson: Monitoring progress towards the Department's PSA targets is undertaken by a wide variety of staff at all levels of the organisation.

Road User Charging

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the Road User Charging (Enforcement and Adjudication) (London) (Amendment) Regulations.

David Jamieson: The Road User Charging (Enforcement and Adjudication) (London) (Amendment) Regulations came into force on 17 February 2003. The Department has not received any representations about them since that date.

TREASURY

Budget Surplus

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cyclically-adjusted surplus on current budget is as a percentage of GDP for each year from 1999–2000 to 2002–03.

John Healey: The cyclically-adjusted surplus on current budget as a percentage of GDP for 1999–2000 is 1.9. Estimates for later years are shown in Table C1 of Budget 2003 (HC500).

Debt Relief

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total cost to the Exchequer of cancellation of the debts of the countries which have met the requirements for the qualification stage of the HIPC debt relief process.

John Healey: As at 31 March 2003, the amount of debt agreed multilaterally under the HIPC initiative as being unrecoverable and consequently written off by the Export Credits Guarantee Department, amounted to some £859.5 million. These debts resulted from insurance and guarantee claims paid out mainly in the 1980s. Additional relief given in accordance with the Government's 100 per cent. forgiveness policy for HIPCs totals £41.8 million. All aid debts to low-income countries had already been written off.
	In addition the UK has so far pledged US $495 million to the HIPC Trust Fund to cover the costs of multilateral HIPC debt relief, and we hold all debt payments in trust for the day they can be returned to fund poverty reduction for all countries still to secure debt relief through HIPC because the absence of a poverty reduction programme.
	The Government acknowledges that debt relief is not a panacea for broader economic development problems; even the provision of 100 per cent. debt relief to all low-income countries would still fall short of the resources needed to meet the Millennium Development Goals. That is why the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for International Development have proposed an International Finance Facility (IFF) that would seek to double the amount of development aid from just over $50 billion a year today to $100 billion per year in the years to 2015.

Departmental Running Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the running costs in 2002 were of (a) his Ministers' private offices, separately identifying expenditure on staff, and (b) his Department.

Ruth Kelly: The administration costs of Ministers' private offices in the relevant financial years was as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			  Total Of which: Staff 
		
		
			 2001–02 3.8 2.6 
			 2002–03 3.9 2.8 
		
	
	Information relating to the Treasury's total administration costs is published in the Department's Estimates.

EU Accession Referendums

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, by accession country, EU information money (a) assigned and (b) spent in the context of accession referenda, indicating the division of resources between the pro and anti campaigns.

Ruth Kelly: The commission provides information and funds information centres about accession and the EU in accession states and candidate countries. The commission does not fund referendum campaigns in any accession country.

Housing Market (USA)

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has commissioned into the current situation of the housing market in the United States of America; and if he will publish the results of such research.

Ruth Kelly: HM Treasury continually monitors developments in all the world's major economies. The Government's latest forecasts for G7 GDP growth, taking into account all relevant factors, were published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report (HC 500) on 9 April.

International Finance Facility

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions officials from his Department have had with representatives of the business community on the issue of an International Finance Facility.

John Healey: The UK is working with its international partners, civil society and the business community to develop the International Finance Facility and to build support for it. The Government's proposal will provide development financing to create capacity for growth and business in some of the worlds' poorest countries, and business has a key role to play by investing in these countries. Accordingly, the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for International Development have written to industry leaders seeking to generate business support.
	The Treasury has also been working in partnership with private sector experts on developing the technical details of the IFF proposal.

National Minimum Wage

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost is in 2003–04 to his Department, agencies and the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible of the increase in the national minimum wage from £4.20 per hour to £4.50 per hour.

Ruth Kelly: The estimated cost in 2003–04 of the increase in the national minimum wage from £4.20 per hour to £4.50 per hour is zero. The Department, and associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies, all have pay ranges for their lowest paid staff that provide salaries exceeding the new level of the national minimum wage.

Variable Rate Mortgages

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the share of the mortgage market occupied by variable rate mortgages in (a) the UK, (b) the USA and (c) member states of the EU, as referred to in paragraph 2.79 of the 2003 Budget (HC 500).

Ruth Kelly: Information on the USA and UK mortgage lending can be obtained respectively via the Federal Housing Finance Board and Council of Mortgage Lenders websites (http://www.fhfb.gov and www.cml.org.uk). Data for European countries can be obtained via the European Mortgage Federation (www.hypo-org).

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Age Discrimination

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to address the issue of age discrimination.

Alun Michael: The Department's equal opportunities policy includes the commitment that there should be no unfair discrimination on the grounds of age.
	As part of the change and developing Defra programmes we are in the process of reviewing our human resources policies and procedures. Part of that process is to ensure that there are no unjustifiable inequalities on age or any other ground and that our commitment to diversity meets and is fully reflected in the way we fulfil Defra's policy and service delivery roles.
	As part of our commitment to this policy, staff in all grades below the Senior Civil Service may, subject to their continued efficiency and continued organisational need, choose to remain in service beyond age 60 and up to a maximum of age 65. We have relaxed the age maxima for recruitment along similar lines.

Agri-environmental Schemes

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what payment levels are made under the (a) countryside stewardship schemes and (b) environmentally sensitive areas in respect of (i) repair of stone walls (per metre), (ii) hedging (per metre), (iii) mending and replacing of Cornish hedges (per metre), (iv) maintaining agreed grazing policy (per hectare), (v) protection measures for flora (per hectare), (vi) protection measures for fauna (per hectare), (vii) repair of stiles and footpaths and (viii) other common agreed payments.

Michael Meacher: Details of payments for the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and West Penwith Environmentally Sensitive Area Schemes are as follows:
	
		
			 Item CSS (national rates] West Penwith ESA 
		
		
			 Repair of stone walls (per metre) £12 with supplements of between £4-£8 available depending on stone type £12 or 80% of actual costs 
			 Hedging (per metre) £3 plus supplements of £1 Not applicable 
			 Cornish hedges (per metre) £25 with additional supplements of £4 available for stone type and difficult sites Rebuilding £25 and £4 supplement for brought in stone. New hedges £32 or 80 % of actual costs 
			 Maintaining grazing (per hectare) £85 for grazed pastures plus 30 supplement for fields <3ha £85 plus 7 supplement for field margins 
			 Protection measures for flora (per hectare) A range of options, not specifically limited to this purpose Reversion to rough land; and other measures 80% of actual costs. 
			 Protection measures for fauna (per hectare) A range of options, not specifically limited to this purpose, e.g. £270 for conservation headlands Winter stubbles £170; other measures 80% of actual costs 
			 Repair of stiles £20-£50 depending on type. Timber stile £30; ladder stile £40; step-over 20; step-through. £30 
			 Other payments Special projects, usually at 50% of cost and scrub clearance at up to £500 per ha. Public access £150 / farm + £35/ha Other payments include protection of historic features 80%; renovation of traditional farm buildings 80%; scrub management from £100-£500; public access £17Q/ha

Agri-environmental Schemes

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to make payments to farmers under (a) countryside stewardship, (b) environmentally sensitive and (c) other agri-environmental schemes.

Michael Meacher: Payments to agreement holders under agri-environment schemes are paid on an annual basis. Payments for the year ending 31 March 2003 for the schemes are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Environmentally Sensitive Areas 53.1 
			 Countryside Stewardship 49.0 
			 Arable Stewardship 1.4 
			 Organic Farming scheme 12.6 
			 Closed schemes (moorland and habitat schemes) 2.1 
		
	
	Published expenditure plans for these schemes show that the total budget is placed to rise each year, reaching £197 million in 2006–07.

Landfill Tax

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many people are employed in the sustainable waste sector, working for business or environmental bodies supported partially or in full by funding from landfill tax credit scheme categories C and CC;
	(2)  how many (a) people in long-term unemployment and (b) disabled people have been retrained by schemes funded under category C and CC of the landfill tax credit scheme.

Michael Meacher: The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme is not run by Defra and we do not hold the information requested. The information may be obtained from ENTRUST. Details of ENTRUSTS Area Offices can be found on their website at www.entrust.orq.uk.

Landfill Tax

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to assist the continuation of the small and medium-sized environmental organisations, initiated by the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, that deliver sustainable waste innovations on a local level.

Michael Meacher: Small and medium-sized environmental organisations which have received funding from or been created through Landfill Tax Credit Scheme funding should continue to receive funds for a further year if they meet the eligibility criteria published on 3 February and are compatible with State Aid requirements.
	Some of those organisations may benefit indirectly from the activities which will be funded from Defra's new sustainable waste delivery programme, announced in the Budget on 9 April, 2003. Others may need to secure new sources of funding)

Nuclear Waste

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much low-level radioactive material is held at Drigg; and what the capacity of the site is.

Michael Meacher: Around 950,000 cubic metres of low level radioactive wastes have already been disposed of to Drigg. The remaining capacity of the currently authorised site is estimated to be over 800,000 cubic metres. The latter compares with the total future arisings estimate for low level wastes contained in the latest 2001 United Kingdom Radioactive Waste Inventory of 1,490,000 cubic metres.

Nuclear Waste

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the landfill sites authorised to receive low-level radioactive waste, indicating which are (a) unlined and (b) single-skinned.

Michael Meacher: The Environment Agency advises that disposal of low-level radioactive waste is authorised under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 at the following sites in England.
	
		
			 Landfill site Location Engineered containment status 
		
		
			 Arpley Landfill Arpley, Warrington Engineered containment (lined) 
			 Milton Landfill Milton, Cambridgeshire Engineered containment (lined) 
			 Cowpen Bewley Billingham, Cleveland No engineered containment (unlined), excavated in clay 
			 Clifton Marsh Preston, Lancashire Engineered containment (lined) 
			 Asham Quarry Beddingham, East Sussex Engineered containment (lined) 
			 Hilts Quarry Crich, Derbyshire No engineered containment (unlined) 
			 Magnesium Elektron Swinton Swinton, Greater Manchester No engineered containment (unlined) 
			 Vickers Waste Ponds Walney Island, Cumbria No engineered containment (unlined) 
			 Braziers Landfill Hertfordshire No engineered containment (unlined)

Power Stations

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timescale is for the review by the Environment Agency of the regulations governing emissions from power stations; and from when the new regulations are likely to apply.

Michael Meacher: Emissions from large power stations to air, water and land are currently regulated by the Environment Agency through the Integrated Pollution Control ("IPC") regime established by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Regulations made under the Act. The Environment Agency is not responsible for reviewing that legislation. The Environment Agency does regularly carry out reviews of the authorisations it has issued under that legislation. The next principal review is due in 2003–04 and any new conditions or requirements in relation to emissions that the Agency seeks to impose on power stations following that review would probably be implemented from 2004–05.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

RAF Menwith Hill

Norman Baker: To ask the Solicitor General how many prosecutions under the RAF Menwith Hill byelaws have been (a) initiated (b) subsequently dropped (c) pursued unsuccessfully and (d) pursued successfully in each year since 1996; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 28 April 2003
	The Ministry of Defence records show that the number of files submitted by the MOD Police to the CPS in connection with alleged breaches of byelaws in RAF Menwith since 1996 were as follows:
	
		
			 Financial Year Files 
		
		
			 1996–97 17 
			 1997–98 49 
			 1998–99 30 
			 1999–2000 32 
			 2000–01 5 
			 2001–02 7 
			 2002–03 7 
		
	
	Crown Prosecution Service case records are held by category of offence, rather than by a specific offence. It is not possible from the records to show separately in how many of these cases a prosecution proceeded or the result of the case. This information could be recovered only by examining individual case files which are in storage, and the cost of such an exercise would be prohibitive.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Arms Exports (Syria)

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what types of toxic chemical precursors UK producers sold to Syria between 1998 and 2003.[Transferred]

Nigel Griffiths: The Department of Trade and Industry's export control organisation records the type of toxic chemical precursors sold to Syria, if the items are controlled for strategic reasons and an export licence application has been submitted. As with any other specific product, information on items licensed for export is normally commercially confidential and exempt from disclosure.
	Since some toxic chemical precursors have legitimate uses, officials are well aware of the special risks that exist in relation to weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and for this reason gives extremely careful scrutiny to all applications that involve potential WMD concerns.

Audits

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received on (a) falsification of audits, (b) excessive time pressures on audits and (c) use of unqualified staff on audits.

Melanie Johnson: We have not received representations on these matters recently.

Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Scheme

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why payments under the coal workers' pneumoconiosis scheme were suspended; and after what period they recommenced.

Brian Wilson: The coal workers' pneumoconiosis scheme (CWPS) is linked to the Department of Work and Pensions' (DWP) scheme for paying industrial injury disability benefit (IIDB) for pneumoconiosis. To claim under the CWPS a claimant must have qualified for, and be in receipt of IIDB. Changes by the DWP to the way they assess qualification for IIDB meant that it was prudent to investigate how these changes impacted upon the CWPS.
	The Department has now concluded it's investigations and despite there still being some concerns about the how the scheme operates, it is clear that those who have applied as a result of receiving IIDB under the DWP's new rules are due compensation under the CWPS and have been processed accordingly as from 5 March 2003.

Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Scheme

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether claims under the coal workers' pneumoconiosis scheme are now being processed normally.

Brian Wilson: Claims under the coal workers' pneumoconiosis scheme are being processed normally in line with the procedures set out in the scheme.

Electricity Industry

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what drawdowns have been made in relation to the rescue and loan facility for British Energy; when they were made; what repayments have been made, and when; and how much of the money drawn down was (a) requested and (b) used (i) for functions essential to safety and (ii) to address safety issues identified by the World Association of Nuclear Operators in 2001.

Brian Wilson: Details of individual payments are a matter for the company. The credit facility has been provided to British Energy in respect of its working capital requirements and cash collateral for its trading activities. As my right hon Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry told the House on 7 March, Official Report, column 89WS British Energy have repaid all outstanding amounts under the credit facility.

Export Control Regulations

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received about the Dual-Use Items (Export Control) (Amendment) Regulations.

Nigel Griffiths: None.

Financial Regulation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the bodies which will be responsible for regulating accountancy, audit and insolvency when her proposed new regulatory structures take effect.

Melanie Johnson: On 9 January 2003 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced a number of changes to the regulatory regime of the accountancy and audit professions. In future, it is envisaged that the Financial Reporting Council and its five Boards (the Accounting Standards Board, the Auditing Practices Board, the Financial Reporting Review Panel, the Investigation and Discipline Board, and the Professional Oversight Board) will have responsibilities for the setting of accounting and auditing standards; enforcement or monitoring; and the oversight of the regulation of their members by the six accountancy bodies which comprise the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies: the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (1CAEW), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (1CAI), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS); the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
	Five professional accountancy bodies have been recognised by the Secretary of State to act as a recognised supervisory body under the Companies Act 1989: the ACCA, 1C AEW, ICAI, ICAS, and the Association of Authorised Public Accountants. These bodies will continue to have a supervisory role in respect of those persons who under their rules are eligible for appointment as auditor. The ACCA, ICAEW, ICAI and ICAS and the Association of International Accountants also have their professional qualifications relating to audit work recognised under the Companies Act 1989.
	My right hon Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will continue to exercise her functions relating to the grant, refusal and revocation of recognition under the Companies Act 1989 in respect of supervisory bodies and professional qualifications unless these functions are transferred to a body established by a delegation order under that Act.
	Under the Insolvency Practitioners' (Recognised Professional Bodies) Order 1986 the following bodies will continue, with the Secretary of State, to be responsible for the licensing of insolvency practitioners: the ACCA, ICAEW, 1C AS, ICAI, the Insolvency Practitioners' Association, the Law Society of Scotland and the Law Society.

Post Office

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent progress there has been between the banks and Post Office Ltd in the extension of provision for basic bank accounts.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 28 April 2003
	Universal banking services became operational at post offices on 1 April 2003. The service includes post office access to basic bank accounts on behalf of Barclays, Lloyds TSB, Royal Bank of Scotland/Nat West, HSBC, Abbey National, HBOS, Alliance and Leicester, NAG, the Co-operative Bank, First Trust, the Bank of Ireland and the Nationwide Building Society.

Post Office

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to simplify the application form for the Post Office card account.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 28 April 2003
	None. This is an operational matter for the Post Office Ltd.

Post Office

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects to receive exemptions guidance for the use of Post Office card accounts.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 28 April 2003
	The Department for Work and Pensions have started to transfer those claimants in the mainstream over to direct payment. This will be phased over a two-year period. By late 2004 the Department for Work and Pensions will have in place an alternative payment method for those who cannot be paid by direct payment.

Post Office

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on the future of the universal service obligation in rural areas.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 28 April 2003
	Government considers the maintenance of a universal postal service in this country to be of the highest importance and that is why the obligation is enshrined in primary legislation in the Postal Services Act 2000. That means a service provided at an affordable price determined by a public tariff uniform throughout the UK and includes the delivery each working day to the home or premises of every individual in the UK and a collection each working day from access points.
	Universal service is a matter for the postal regulator (Postcomm), which has the primary statutory duty to ensure the provision of a universal postal service at an affordable uniform tariff, and for Royal Mail as the licence holder with the universal service obligation. Under the terms of the Postal Services Act Postcomm must in performing its duties have regard to the interests of individuals in rural areas. Exceptions to the universal service daily delivery can only be allowed in very specific and restricted circumstances (the relevant policy document is available at http://www.psc.gov.uk/documents/licensing).
	On 10 April, Postcomm launched a further three-month consultation to find out what users expect from the universal postal service currently provided by Royal Mail. All postal users are invited to comment on the universal service, to say what matters to them, and how they expect the service to develop. Again the information on this consultation can be obtained from Postcomm's website.

Renewable Energy

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on plans to upgrade the UK's transmission system to accommodate increased capacity coming from renewable energy; and how this will affect (a) the export interconnector between Scotland and England and (b) existing coal and nuclear power stations in Scotland.

Brian Wilson: The Scottish Transmission Companies have recently announced that they will start advanced planning work on strengthening the transmission infrastructure in Scotland to accommodate the potential of renewable energy in Scotland. As such the increased potential generation has no direct impact on the export interconnector between Scotland and England or the existing coal and nuclear power stations in Scotland.

Renewable Energy

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the role of Scotland in contributing to the UK meeting its renewable energy obligations; and how she intends to accommodate increased renewable capacity in Scotland.

Brian Wilson: Adding to its established strength in hydro power, Scotland is poised to make a major contribution to the expansion of renewable energy in the UK. Major new wind farms are in prospect and scope for the development of wave and tidal energy is being explored.
	These renewable resources will often be located in less populated areas in the north and west of Scotland. We will need to transform the electricity transmission network to allow for this new generation to be delivered to customers. I shall shortly be publishing the report of the Transmission Issues Working Group which has costed the option of connecting up to 6GW of new renewable energy generation in Scotland. The Scottish Transmission Companies have recently announced that they will start advanced planning work on strengthening the transmission infrastructure in Scotland to accommodate the potential of renewable energy in Scotland.

Renewable Energy

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the (a) installed capacity of onshore wind turbines in Great Britain and (b) average annual output generated by those turbines.

Brian Wilson: The available information shows that in 2001 the installed capacity of onshore wind turbines in Great Britain was 388 MW and that these turbines generated 853 GWh of electricity.

Royal Mail

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the policy of the Royal Mail on issuing stamps which do not include the Queen's head.

Stephen Timms: These are matters that fall within the day-to-day responsibility of Royal Mail and I have therefore asked the Chairman to reply direct to the hon. Member.

DEFENCE

Cluster Munition

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current failure rate is for each type of cluster munition.

Adam Ingram: Weapons containing cluster munitions are currently in service with the Army and Royal Air Force. The Army systems consist of (a) Shell 155mm HE Extended Range Bomblet Shell (ERBS) which has a proven maximum bomblet failure rate of 2 per cent. and (b) Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) M26 bomblets which have a failure rate, between 5 per cent. and 10 per cent. The failure rate is largely dependant on ground conditions and range.
	The RAF system consists of the BL755 cluster bomb; recent statistics show an overall failure rate of 6 per cent. in line with expectations. We have previously stated a failure rate for the BL755 of "approximately 5 per cent."; the figure has now increased not because the weapon is less reliable but because the parameters used to compile the statistics have changed.

Field Hospitals

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reverse the decision to withdraw 33 Field Hospital from the Gulf.

Adam Ingram: The personnel from 33 Field Hospital returned to the United Kingdom at the beginning of April. This was later than planned to enable contingency medical cover early in the course of operations should it be required. Fortunately it was not. The cover provided by two remaining UK field hospitals, currently the 34 Field Hospital and 202 Field Hospital (V), along with the medical facilities of coalition partners, is sufficient for the foreseeable future. There is therefore no plan to redeploy 33 Field Hospital.

Future Aircraft Carrier

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft will be procured for the future aircraft carrier project; what the estimated date is of delivery of the first aircraft; and in which financial year peak procurement expenditure will fall.

Adam Ingram: While no final decisions have yet been taken, our planning assumption is based on 150 of the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) which will operate from land bases as well as the future carriers. No production contract for the aircraft has yet been placed but current planning assumptions are based upon the first aircraft being delivered to the Operational Evaluation Unit in 2009 and peak procurement expenditure falling in Financial Year 2011–12.

Iraq

Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make arrangements for the care of animals in Baghdad Zoo.

Lewis Moonie: No. Coalition forces are working with community leaders to ensure that law and order is re-established as soon as possible to try to ensure Baghdad's institutions are protected from harm or damage.

Iraq

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what evidence British troops have found since the start of the war of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction;
	(2)  if he will list weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: To date, the main focus for coalition forces has been the establishment of a safe and secure environment in Iraq. This is a necessary precursor to the full achievement of our campaign objectives, as set out in the document placed in the Library of the House on 20 March 2003.
	There is no doubt that Saddam had programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction. Evidence of these programmes could take any of several forms, for example, samples of chemical or biological agents, delivery systems, research or production facilities, documentation or interviews with relevant Iraqi personnel. No conclusive evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction has yet been discovered, but investigations are at an early stage. We expect gathering and collating evidence from the various sources to be a long and complex task.

Iraq

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the sites in Iraq and their locations which were mentioned by the Prime Minister in his statement to the House of 14th April (a) where searches have been begun for chemical or biological weapons and (b) which are possible sites for weapons of mass destruction.

Geoff Hoon: All of the sites referred to by the Prime Minister are potentially related to Iraq's programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological weapons. Further sites are being identified as investigations develop. There is a potential for evidence to be disturbed if sites are announced in advance, and investigations may require more than one visit. Currently, therefore, we do not plan to give precise details of sites, their locations or what investigations have taken place until investigations are complete.
	Such sites are only one potential form of evidence of Iraqi programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction. Others forms of evidence could include samples of chemical or biological agents, delivery systems, documentation or interviews with relevant Iraqi personnel. We currently expect gathering and collating evidence from these various sources to be a long and complex task. We will aim to release information concerning evidence of Iraqi WMD programmes when and where appropriate, as we did before the conflict began. It would be inappropriate to release anything at this early stage, as this could be incomplete or inaccurate.

Multinational Defence Co-operation

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on co-operation on the (a) SEAD capability and (b) electronic warfare; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom continues to co-operate with Germany and Italy in a programme of 'Twinning' of Tornado squadrons for SEAD roles, with all three nations participating in exercises and training. A new UK SEAD concept and policy is being developed which addresses co-operation issues. We have established an advanced UK-based SEAD exercise that will be held later this year and to which several nations have been invited; more will follow.
	Within NATO, we are fully engaged in the development of an Electronic Warfare capability, contributing to NATO databases and the updates to NATO policy and doctrine. We also have a number of bilateral arrangements in place in this area to ensure continued co-operation, capability development, support and force protection.

Ship Procurement

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answers of 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 328W, on marine pollution, and 6 March 2003, Official Report, column 1170W, on naval hulls, why a compliance date of 2010 has been adopted by his Department; what planning has been carried out to meet that deadline; when he intends to invite tenders for new vessels; and how many vessels he intends to procure.

Adam Ingram: MARPOL (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973 and the Protocol of 1978) provides for the phased introduction of Double-hulled tankers. Whilst the convention does not apply to vessels owned or operated by a state and used only on Government non-commercial service, as is the case for the fleet of Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Oilers, it continues to be Ministry of Defence policy that, where practicable, we comply with Shipping Acts and associated Regulations. 2010 was selected as the target date for the earliest practicable Ministry of Defence compliance based on the Department's current plans for the progressive withdrawal of non-compliant, single-hulled vessels over the rest of this decade and their replacement with compliant equivalents. The first such compliant vessels, the Auxiliary Oilers RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler, are due to enter service this spring.
	So far as future procurement is concerned, the Ministry of Defence established the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) project in July 2002 to consider, among other things, the Royal Navy's future requirement for oil resupply. The capability provided by this will be fully compliant with any environmental legislation in force at the time of entry into service but it is premature to decide exactly how this requirement will be met or when industry will be invited to bid.

PRIME MINISTER

Civil Defence

David Cameron: To ask the Prime Minister which department is specifically responsible for the UK's (a) civil and (b) military biodefence programme.

Tony Blair: The Department of Health has responsibility for the UK's public health emergency planning programme. The Ministry of Defence is responsible for the measures taken to protect the Armed Forces against biological hazards. Appropriate measures are continually reviewed and strengthened.
	Work in this area is taken forward under the cross-Governmental Civil Contingency machinery for which the Home Secretary has overall responsibility. This arrangement ensures that direct responsibility for responding to the whole range of threats rests with the relevant department whilst also providing effective co-ordination across Government for all related activities.

Homeland Security

David Cameron: To ask the Prime Minister what procedures are in place to ensure co-ordination between the Department of Health, the Home Office and the government agencies for homeland security, with particular reference to the effects of the establishment of the Health Protection Agency.

Tony Blair: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has overall charge in this area. He chairs the Civil Contingencies Committee which meets in times of crisis to manage the response and is attended by representatives of the relevant emergency services and agencies. He also chairs DOP(IT)(T), which oversees the work on protective and preventative security; and DOP(IT)(R) which works to build the UK's resilience and ability to manage the consequences of major emergencies. The Department of Health and the Home Office are represented on all of these committees. There are robust, established mechanisms for co-ordination which are overseen by the Home Secretary, who is supported by a senior official, the Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator. Sir David Omand is the Permanent Secretary who brings together the work of the intelligence agencies and civil departments to ensure a co-ordinated approach to counter-terrorism.
	The Home Secretary is driving forward a comprehensive programme of work to enhance and improve our capacity to respond to a range of threats. For further details on this, I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement that the Home Secretary made on Civil Contingency Planning and the role of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat on 3 March, Official Report, columns 72–78WS.
	The Health Protection Agency is an important part of these arrangements. It aims to improve health emergency planning and the NHS response by providing a dedicated field service and an integrated approach to protecting the public against infectious diseases and chemical and radiological hazards.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had on the need for a donors' conference to solicit funds from other bodies for the reconstruction needs of Iraq following the conflict.

Tony Blair: The UN issued a flash appeal for $2.2 billion for immediate relief and recovery on 28 March to which the UK has committed $100 million (£65 million).
	At the Spring Meetings on 12–13 April it was agreed that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund would begin assessing Iraq's economic and social needs. A conference to discuss funding for long term reconstruction will be arranged at the appropriate time.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had regarding the long-term plans with respect to the reintegration of Iraqi soldiers into civilian life in Iraq following the conflict.

Tony Blair: The reintegration of Iraqi soldiers into civilian life will be a matter for a new Iraqi government, drawing on the experience of the international community and organisations including the UN.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had on demilitarizing and eliminating the Iraqi special forces and intelligence and security apparatus in Iraq following the conflict.

Tony Blair: The reform of Iraq's security infrastructure, to make it representative, transparent and accountable, will be a matter for a new Iraqi government, drawing on the experience of the international community and organisations including the UN.

WALES

Agricultural Production

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much Wales contributed to the overall UK production of (a) lamb less than one year, (b) fowls for table, (c) fowls in laying flock, (d) cattle and calves, (e) pigs, (f) oats, (g) dairy herd, (h) barley, (i) wheat, (j) potatoes-earlies and (k) potatoes-main crop in the last year for which figures are available.

Peter Hain: holding answer 7 April 2003
	The data requested by the hon. Member is not available from National Assembly sources as a contribution to overall UK production against the commodities he has identified. However, the percentage contributions from Wales to the UK totals in terms of hectarage or animal numbers are available. All of the data provided relate to June 2002.
	
		
			 Commodity Percentage of UK totals 
		
		
			 Lambs less than one year 27 
			 Table chicken 4 
			 Fowls in laying flock 3 
			 Cattle and Calves 12 
			 Pigs 1 
			 Oats 3 
			 Dairy breeding herd 12 
			 Barley 2 
			 Wheat 1 
			 Potatoes (total = earlies + main) 1.5 
			 Potatoes—earlies(1) 8 
			 Potatoes—main crop(1) 1 
		
	
	(1) Denotes percentage of England, Wales and Scotland totals.

Departmental Creche Facilities

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what crèche facilities are provided by his Department; and at what cost.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave him on 26 March 2002, Official Report, column 894W.

Government Financial Support

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total level of UK Government financial support for Wales was in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: Chapter 8 of the "Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2002–03", published by HM Treasury in May 2002 as Cm 5401, shows total identifiable public expenditure in Wales to have been:
	
		
			  £ billion 
		
		
			 1996–97 13.678 
			 19979–98 13.838 
			 1998–99 14.410 
			 1999–2000 14.877 
			 2000–01 15.622

Government of Wales Act

Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the implementation of section 41 of the Government of Wales Act 1998, with particular reference to agreements achieved under it.

Peter Hain: Section 41 is working satisfactorily. It has primarily been used to allow Assembly staff to support Wales Office Ministers on Bill work, including:
	the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill
	the Local Government Bill
	the Health (Wales) Bill
	the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill
	Children's Commissioner for Wales Act 2001
	An agreement is also in place to handle civil litigation by former residents of Clwyd Hall.
	In addition there are a number of Service Level Agreements in existence or in preparation under which Assembly staff provide support and professional services to the Wales Office.

Statutory Instruments

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the statutory instruments issued by his Department in the last 12 months, indicating (a) the purpose of each and (b) the cost of each to (i) public funds, (ii) businesses and (iii) individuals.

Peter Hain: The Statutory Instruments issued by the Wales Office alone are as follows:
	National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) (Amendment) Order 2002 No.834
	Purpose: to make provision regarding National Assembly elections including allowing for postal voting as of right and making provision for assisting disabled voters.
	Local Government Act 2000 (Commencement No.3) (Wales) Order 2002 No. 1359
	Purpose: to commence section 93 of the Act which enables grants for welfare services to be made to local authorities by the National Assembly for Wales.
	National Assembly for Wales (Disqualification) Order 2003 No.437
	Purpose: to prescribe those offices which disqualified the holders from membership of the National Assembly. Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales (Accounts, Audit and Reports) Order 2003 No.749
	Purpose: to provide for the preparation and audit of the accounts of the Commission and for the preparation and publication of an annual report of the Commission.
	National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2003 No. 284
	Purpose: to make provision for the conduct of elections and return of members to the National Assembly for Wales and other related matters. It replaces and revokes the National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 1999 No. 450 and the National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) (Amendment) Order 2002 No. 834.

Working Hours

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what policy on (a) core hours and (b) flexible working hours is operated by his Department.

Peter Hain: My Department applies the National Assembly for Wales' rules on flexi-working. This requires staff to work within the period from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; to be in attendance for the core hours of 10.00–11.45 a.m. and 2.00–3.00 p.m.; and to complete a minimum of 4 hours in each full day.

Young Offenders Institution (Glynneath)

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the possibility of establishing a Young Offenders' Institution at Glynneath; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I have received representations from a number of sources. It is important that young offenders are placed as closely as possible to their home communities. I therefore believe that the case for establishing a new Secure Training Centre for Wales is a strong one. I have written to the Chairman of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales expressing my support for the initiative.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Zimbabwe

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her most recent assessment is of (a) the loss of life in Zimbabwe over the last 12 months and (b) the level of humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: By far the greatest cause of mortality in Zimbabwe is HIV/AIDS, which the WHO estimates may have resulted in 130,000 deaths in the last year.
	At present there are no official estimates of mortality in Zimbabwe during the past 12 months. The results of a national nutrition and health survey, supported by donors including DFID, are due to be released by the Ministry of Health during May. Preliminary indications are that there is little evidence of widespread severe malnutrition among children or deaths from starvation. NGOs report however that there have been cases of illness and death as a result of consuming poisonous wild foods.
	In the last four months prior to the new maize crop entering the market from May, nearly seven million people have been receiving food through the international relief effort. As the nutrition and health survey is expected to confirm, overall, the aid effort has been successful. DFID has been a significant contributor, providing £51 million to help Zimbabwe since the humanitarian crisis began in mid 2001 The prospects for Zimbabwe in 2003 remain dismal. Food security continues to be affected by chaos in the agricultural sector, economic disincentives to production, unemployment at 70 per cent., and 228 per cent. inflation eroding purchasing power. DFID's priorities for the next year will continue to be the prevention of HIV and mitigation of the impact of AIDS, and directassistance for the poor and vulnerable during the continuing economic andsocial crisis in Zimbabwe.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

UKvisas

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost was to UKvisas of handling applications for work permits in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: Applications for work permits are handled by Work Permits (UK), a part of the Home Office, rather than by UKvisas. UKvisas are responsible for assessing entry clearance applications from work permit holders, but the administrative cost of this is met by the fee charged for all entry clearance applications.

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the public consultation phase of the Afghan constitution-making process will begin; and how many women's groups, and from where, are to be consulted.

Mike O'Brien: A process of public education and consultation will begin once the Afghan Constitutional Commission has been established and published the draft text of the constitution. We hope that all sections of Afghan community, including women, will be involved in the process. The UK has given £500,000 to the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan to support the consultation process.
	A Constitutional Drafting Commission, including two women members, was established in October 2002 to prepare a set of recommendations to the Constitutional Commission on constitutional arrangements. The Drafting Commission has met with the Ministry for Women's Affairs, women's NGOs, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and other civil society groups to discuss how to incorporate gender and women's rights into the preliminary draft of the constitution.

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the commissioners of the Constitutional Commission in Afghanistan, broken down by gender.

Mike O'Brien: The Constitutional Commission has yet to be established. A Constitutional Drafting Commission of constitutional experts was appointed by President Karzai in October 2002. Two of the nine members of the Drafting Commission are women. Their task is to prepare a set of recommendations to the Constitutional Commission on constitutional arrangements.
	The members of the Constitutional Drafting Commission are:
	Vice-President Shahrani (Chair)
	Mr. Azimi
	Mr. Fazili
	Mr. Sherzoy
	Ms Mukarama
	Mr. Asheri
	Mr. Marufi
	Ms Kakar
	Mr. Danish

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UN Special Representative in Kabul has appointed a permanent gender advisor; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) have confirmed that the position of Gender Advisor to the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan has now been filled. UNAMA have told the British Embassy in Kabul that the successful applicant will take up their post in the near future.

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what special security arrangements will be made to ensure the safe and full participation of women in the public consultation phase of the Afghan constitution-making process.

Mike O'Brien: The International Security Assistance Force will continue to help ensure security in Kabul and the surrounding area during the popular consultation process, while progress with security sector reform should help increase the safety of all Afghans. There are no plans at present for special security arrangements for women.

Afghanistan

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had regarding the disarmament and demilitarisation efforts in Northern Afghanistan.

Mike O'Brien: None. However, FCO officials are in regular contact with Afghan and international partners on all aspects of Afghanistan's disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process.

Afghanistan

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the need for further (a) political, (b) economic and (c) military support for the Afghan transitional administration.

Mike O'Brien: There is a continuing need to provide political, economic and military support to the Afghan transitional administration (ATA). Ministers are in regular contact with the ATA to discuss the best way in which the UK can support it in line with the Bonn Process.
	On 17–18 March the ATA presented its National Development Budget of U$2.3 billion for 2003–04 to a high level meeting with donors in Brussels. Twelve participatory consultative groups, chaired by the ATA, will coordinate the economic and developmental process in Afghanistan. The UK is participating in four of these groups—private sector, economic and financial management, public sector reform and security sector reform. The Department for International Development is additionally carrying out a bilateral programme of support to the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank through the Adam Smith Institute. The UK has spent £170 million in Afghanistan since September 2001.
	We continue to contribute towards military assistance to the ATA. In 2002/03 we contributed £18 million towards Security Sector Reform programmes. The UK also contributes approx 300 troops to ISAF.

Afghanistan

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had concerning securing the adherence of Afghanistan's neighbouring states to a policy of non-interference.

Mike O'Brien: My ministerial colleagues and I are in regular contact with the Government of Afghanistan, and the Governments of Afghanistan's neighbours, on a wide range of issues, including the reconstruction of Afghanistan and regional security. I welcome the signature by Afghanistan and her neighbours of the good neighbourly relations declaration, in Kabul on 22 December 2002. The declaration marked an important step in building a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between Afghanistan and its neighbours, and should contribute towards greater security and stability in the region.

Afghanistan

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the relationship between the Taliban and Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence.

Mike O'Brien: We welcomed Pakistan's decision to break its links with the Taliban in 2001, following the attacks in the US on September 11. Pakistan is a key ally in the campaign against terrorism.
	We regularly discuss with Pakistan the importance of their continuing support for coalition action against Al Q'aida and its associates (including Taliban remnants), and their support for the Afghan Transitional Administration and the Bonn Process. We welcome Pakistan's signing of the Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration together with the Afghan Transitional Administration and Afghanistan's other neighbours on 22 December 2002 as a demonstration of a shared interest in promoting stability in the region.

Commonwealth Institute

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the decision to sell the Commonwealth Institute's building; and what benefits the sale will bring to the institute.

Mike O'Brien: The decision to put the site of the Commonwealth Institute on the market has been taken by its Trustees.

Commonwealth Institute

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many bidders have announced an interest in buying the Commonwealth Institute building.

Mike O'Brien: This is a matter for the Trustees of the Commonwealth Institute which is an independent limited company with charitable status.

Cote d'Ivoire

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his written statement of 1 April 2003, Official Report, column 52WS, what response he has had from the Northbridge Services Group to UK Government representations that they should desist from recruiting mercenaries to operate in Côte d'Ivoire; and if he will make a statement on what further steps he intends to take.

Bill Rammell: Northbridge Services Group issued a press release on 2 April defending their proposed deployment to Cote d'Ivoire. On 7 April, the office of the Ivorian president publicly denied any contract with Northbridge Services Group, and re-affirmed the President's commitment to the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement. We remain concerned that any deployment by foreign military units would seriously jeopardise the peace process. We are continuing discussions with our partners in the UN Security Council and wider international community on this issue.

Energy Policy

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement, in relation to his Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible, on (a) the amount of energy consumed, (b) spending on (i) energy and (ii) energy efficiency measures, (c) the amount saved through energy efficiency measures and (d) energy policy in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: FCO energy expenditure and efficiency data is set out in the following table. Data for our non-departmental public bodies could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 FCO Energy consumption (GWh/y) Energy expenditure (£ million) Energy/m2(kWh/m2/y) Savings over 1997–98 (percentage) Energy efficiency spend (£k/y) 
		
		
			 1997–98 41.48 1.00 393.08 — 20.59 
			 1998–99 36.79 0.92 348.62 11 7.84 
			 1999–2000 34.19 1.03 391.65 0 0.97 
			 2000–01 34.42 1.72 321.46 18 801.00 
			 2001–02 32.13 1.75 377.08 4 Nil 
		
	
	Notes
	1. Energy Consumption: this is weather-corrected in the usual manner, using annual degree days relative to the 20-year average for 1990–91. The figures are those reported on for the Central Government Estate campaign. Figures include the FCO's only Agency, Wilton Park Conference Centre, for 2000–01 and 2001–02 only.
	2. Energy Expenditure: this is actual spend, and from April 2001, includes the Climate Change Levy. Costs are inclusive of VAT from 1999–00.
	3. Energy/m2: this variable allows for changes in both weather and estate size on energy consumption. So annual changes will generally reflect efficiency changes.
	4. Savings over 1997–98: These have been expressed as percentage savings relative to the first year quoted here, and are based on the figures in the preceding column.
	5. Energy efficiency spend: Note that this is not necessarily a good measure of an effective energy efficiency policy. For example, when a new building is commissioned or an existing one refurbished, good design can actually reduce capital costs, e.g. by avoiding air conditioning. The £801,000 recorded by the FCO in 2000–01 is the capital sum invested in energy efficiency measures incorporated into the refurbishment of the Old Admiralty Building.
	Energy Policy
	The Energy White Paper, "Our Energy Future—Creating a Low Carbon Economy" made clear the importance the Government attaches to improving energy efficiency in its own estate. This is reflected in several targets. There is currently an interim target of a 1 per cent. per annum ongoing reduction in weather-corrected carbon emissions, pending the development of new indicators and targets based on benchmarking the performance of each Department's largest buildings. These new targets are planned to be in place later this year. New targets for Government Departments' use of CHP generated electricity will also be established during 2003.
	In addition, the review of Government procurement has identified areas where procurement could reinforce the achievement of these targets, and arrangements are being made centrally for Departments to purchase goods with high energy efficiency standards and which provide good value for money.
	On the purchase of renewable electricity, Ministers agreed the following target in May 2001: "All departments will ensure that by 31 March 2003, at least 5 per cent. of their electricity comes from renewable sources that are exempt from the Climate Change Levy or from self generation, provided this does not entail excessive cost. The FCO achieved this target. The target will rise to at least 10 per cent. supply from such sources by 31 March 2008, but will be reviewed after 31 March 2003 to take account of market conditions following the introduction of the renewables obligation. The review of 2003 will include consideration of increasing or bringing forward the target".

Ethiopia/Eritrea

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to encourage Ethiopia and Eritrea to comply fully with their commitments under the Algiers Agreements; whether he is actively seized of recent developments in the Badme region; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The UK has followed progress with the peace process closely and is fully aware of the significance of Badme in the Ethiopia/Eritrea conflict. The Algiers Peace Agreement in December 2000 set out the mandate for a neutral Boundary Commission to delimitand demarcate the border between the two countries. The Commission made its decision public on 13 April 2002. We have called on both Ethiopia and Eritrea to implement fully the Algiers Peace Agreements and to accept the Boundary Commission's decisions as final and binding. We have done this through successive UN Security Council resolutions, EU demarches and in our bilateral contacts with both countries.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which month's post is being opened by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate with regard to visa applications.

Bill Rammell: Correspondence relating to visa applications is normally handled by the Correspondence Section of UKvisas. UKvisas consistently opens mail as soon as it is received with the aim of processing all correspondence within the Cabinet Office deadlines of 15 days for letters from Members of Parliament and 20 days for other letters. In 2002, UKvisas responded to 17,566 letters from MPs, Members of the Public and others: 99.37 per cent. of these correspondents were sent replies within these target times.

Iraq

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Iraqi diplomatic personnel are accredited to (a) the United Kingdom and (b) international and multinational organisations of which the United Kingdom is a member; what his policy is regarding continued accreditation; what steps he has taken to further this policy; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Following the closure of the Iraqi Interests Section of the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on 30 March 2003, there are no Iraqi diplomats accredited to the United Kingdom. The status of Iraqi delegations to international organisations will be determined by the membership of those organisations in accordance with the rules of the organisation concerned. There are no resident Iraqi representatives to international organisations based in the United Kingdom.

Laos

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons there is no U.K. embassy in the People's Democratic Republic of Laos; and what plans there are to open a mission in Laos.

Mike O'Brien: The British Embassy in Vientiane was closed in 1985 as part of a package of cost reductions and Her Majesty's Ambassador to Thailand was accredited as Ambassador to Laos. In 1995 a British trade office was opened in Vientiane, as a subsidiary office of the British Embassy in Bangkok, to cover trade and development issues. Consular and estate matters in Laos are covered by the Australian Embassy in Vientiane. All other British interests are covered by the British Embassy in Bangkok. We regularly review commercial and other factors affecting British interests in Laos, but we have no plans to upgrade the British trade office to full Embassy status.

Laos

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial resources have been allocated to the British Trade Office in Laos since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: Running costs for the British trade office in Laos are subsumed into the running costs of its parent office, the British Embassy in Bangkok. Compiling information on costs since 1997 would incur disproportionate cost. We keep separate figures for estimate purposes only. Running costs for 2002–03 were £36,945.12, but this figure does not include the cost of the office accommodation which, although owned by us, is managed by the Australian Embassy in Vientiane.

North Korea

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on human rights in North Korea.

Bill Rammell: The international community is seriously concerned about reports of widespread and continued human rights violations in North Korea. The EU made its concerns in this area clear at last year's meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights, and took the decision to table a resolution at this year's session. The resolution was adopted by a majority on 16 April.

Pakistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the Christian population of the North-West Province of Pakistan of the adoption of Sharia law.

Mike O'Brien: It is too early to make an assessment. The North-West Frontier Province has yet to consider draft legislation proposing the adoption of Sharia law in the province. This law cannot be fully enacted until approved by the federal and provincial Parliaments. Together with our EU partners, we will continue to urge Pakistan to pursue laws and practices which foster tolerance and mutual respect and to protect Christians and other religious minorities against discrimination, intimidation and attacks.

Part-time Workers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the Part-time Workers Directive on staff in his Department.

Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office supports staff in their efforts to reach an appropriate work-life balance. Part-time working is one of several ways in which the FCO offers staff flexibility in their working patterns. In accordance with the Employment Act 2002, the FCO has recently introduced procedures to facilitate further flexible working.
	We currently have 142 part-time staff—an increase of 35 per cent. over last year. All benefits—including leave, pension, overseas allowances (where appropriate)— are provided pro-rata to staff working part-time.

Public Service Agreement

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (a) how many and (b) what grades of officials are responsible for the monitoring of progress towards the public service agreement targets of his Department.

Bill Rammell: Monitoring progress towards the Department's PSA targets is undertaken by a wide variety of staff at all levels of the organisation.

Serbia

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Serbia.

Denis MacShane: Further to my answer of 21 March 2003, Official Report, column 125W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) on the assistance being offered to the Serbian Government in the aftermath of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic's assassination on 12 March 2003, I visited Belgrade on 7 April. I met Serbian and Serbia and Montenegro leaders to discuss how best to sustain reform, notably to combat organised crime and ensure co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
	In the days following the assassination, European Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten and EU High Representative Javier Solana visited Belgrade. On 26 March the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) Management Committee approved the CARDS annual action programme for SaM, including aid of Euro 229 million for Serbia, Euro 13.5 million for Montenegro and Euro 49 million for Kosovo. On 3 April 2003 Serbia and Montenegro became the 45th member of the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers (PACE) will closely monitor SaM's post accession commitments, including further co-operation with the ICTY.
	The Serbian Government has taken steps towards judicial, political and military reform by disbanding the 'Red Berets' Special Operations Unit (JSO) and the retirement of 35 court judges linked to Slobodan Milosevic. I welcome the Government's efforts in tackling organised crime and war criminals, building on developments this year, notably the disinterment of missing ex Serbian President Ivan Stambolic's remains, and the transfer of former Serbian President Milan Milutinovic and Serbian Radical Party Leader Vojislav Seselj to The Hague. We look forward to further developments.
	The State of Emergency imposed following Djindjic's assassination on 12 March ended on 22 April. 10,000 people from different crime gangs have been questioned and 4,500 people detained in relation to the assassination and other crimes committed before and after the fall of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000.
	The EU is monitoring the implementation of post State of Emergency legislation, including terms of detention and independence of the judiciary. Within the EU and other bodies, we are discussing how to take forward closer integration with Europe in a way which maintains EU conditionality, while helping SaM and other countries of the region achieve the standards required.

Sickness Absence

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department were on long term sick leave in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not keep historical records of officers who have been on long-term sick leave. We currently have 16 people on long-term sick leave (i.e. over six months).
	To try to prevent long term sickness absence we notify our Occupational Health department when an officer has been sick for longer than three weeks.
	We are fully committed to reducing our sickness absence and are on course to meet our 'Service Delivery Agreement' target.

Visa Staff

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the rate of (a) unpaid leave and (b) absence due to sickness was for UK Visas staff working (i) abroad and (ii) in the UK in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not centrally maintain records for unpaid leave. Statistics for leaves of absence through sickness for overseas staff do not specify the section of the Post in which the officer works. Collating both sets of figures would incur disproportionate cost.
	Sickness figures for UK visas staff based in the UK on a calendar year basis in line with normal government practice, are:
	
		
			  Days per officer 
		
		
			 2002 5.88 
			 2001 9.28 
			 2000 9.52 
			 1999 8.39 
			 1998 No reliable figures held 
		
	
	The FCO is committed to reducing sickness absence and we are on target to achieve our Service Delivery Agreement targets.

Zimbabwe

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of (a) the humanitarian and (b) human rights situation in Zimbabwe; and what measures he plans to take to address the problems identified in that assessment.

Bill Rammell: The latest humanitarian estimate is that over 7 million Zimbabweans are currently dependent on food aid. We have provided £51 million in humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe since September 2001. We, through the UN and non-governmental organisations, are providing supplementary food to more than 1.5 million Zimbabweans a day, mainly children, pregnant mothers, unemployed farm workers and the elderly. Prospects for the coming year are under assessment.
	The human rights situation continues to deteriorate. A successful "stayaway" from work on 18 and 19 March was followed by a wave of violence, largely against the opposition party and its supporters. There were over 500 arrests, 250 people hospitalised, and one death. Scores of people were beaten and tortured while in police custody. Both the Vice-President of the MDC and the party's parliamentary speaker were arrested. The EU has condemned the violence and sponsored a resolution on Zimbabwe at the UN Commission on Human Rights.

PRIVY COUNCIL

Websites

Tim Yeo: To ask the President of the Council if he will make a statement on the (a) cost of and (b) number of visitors to each website operated by his Department in each year since its establishment.

John Reid: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 20 March 2003, Official Report, column 910W.

Working Hours

Bob Spink: To ask the President of the Council if he will reconsult hon. Members on (a) the operation of the new working hours and (b) the demand for a debate on working hours at the end of this Session.

John Reid: I refer the hon. Member to my reply on 8 April 2003, Official Report, columns 128–29. As I said then, it will take time for the effects of the changes to be realised and to decide whether some modifications may be necessary.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Benefits (Pregnancy)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what benefits a woman receives if she loses a baby after (a) 23 weeks and (b) 24 weeks of her pregnancy.

Des Browne: Where her pregnancy does not result in the issue of a living child, depending on her individual circumstances, a woman may be entitled to receive where her pregnancy ends:
	(a) after 23 weeks incapacity benefit, statutory sick pay and income support;
	(b) after 24 weeks statutory maternity pay, maternity allowance, income support, a funeral payment and a Sure Start maternity grant.

Bye-Laws

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications have been received by the Department of Environment from Ards borough council requesting permission to invoke new bye-laws in each of the past 10 years; how many applications from Ards borough council were granted in each year; how many outstanding applications from Ards borough council are awaiting approval; and what the oldest application is from Ards borough council which is not yet approved.

Angela Smith: Over the past 10 years, four applications for confirmation of new bye-laws were received by the Department of the Environment in 1994 from Ards borough council. None of these has yet been confirmed.

Bye-Laws

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications were received by the Department of Environment from local government authorities requesting permission to invoke new bye-laws in each of the past 10 years; how many applications were granted in each year; how many outstanding applications are awaiting approval; what the oldest application is which is not yet approved; and how many people are employed to process such applications.

Angela Smith: District councils have submitted 17 applications for confirmation of new bye-laws to the Department of the Environment, since 1993. Five sets of bye-laws have been confirmed over the past 10 years, leaving 12 cases under consideration. The longest outstanding application dates back to 1994. The record is set out in the table. No member of staff is dedicated to this area of work.
	Before confirming a set of bye-laws the Department must be satisfied that they are in the proper form and are within the power of the Department to confirm. The Department generally follows the model bye-laws provided by Home Office and in some instances they must also be confirmed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. This is a lengthy process involving exchanges between district councils and legal advisers for local and central government. It is one of many shared responsibilities and competing priorities.
	
		
			  Applications received Bye-lawsconfirmed 
		
		
			 1993 1  
			 1994 6  
			 1995  1 
			 1996 3  
			 1997 1 1 
			 1998 2 3 
			 1999   
			 2000 1  
			 2001 1  
			 2002 2  
			 Total: 17 5

EU Funding

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money from (a) mainsteam EU programmes and (b) special EU initiatives has been allocated to North Belfast in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The amount of mainstream EU Programmes and special EU Initiatives money allocated 1 to North Belfast since 1997 was:
	
		£
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Mainstream EU Programmes(3) (4)12,435,782 (5)3,982,376 3,203,191 2,204,060 1,013,339 (6)1,521,561 3,553,151 
			 Special EU Initiatives(7) 7,267,682 5,604,081 11,162,990 1,235,657 2,510,037 (8)14,581,481 4,843,206 
		
	
	(2) The figures relate to projects funded with an application address area as the application address. The impacts of any project may extend beyond the geographical in the Belfast North Parliamentary Constituency. Some projects may not be situated within the same geographical location of the project
	(3) The EU Programmes included in this category are the 1994–99 Single Programme Document and the 2000–06 Programme for Building Sustainable Prosperity
	(4) This figure contains some £10.5 million in respect of the Belfast Waste Water Treatment Works for an incineration plant located in North Belfast.
	(5) This figure contains an additional £2.3 million in respect of the incineration plant.
	(6) This figure excludes some £32 million for Water Treatment Works allocated by DRD (addresses in North Belfast) but spent outside the Belfast North Constituency.
	(7) The EU Programmes included in this category are the 1995–99 Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE I) and the 2000–04 EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE II).
	(8) This figure exqludes some £2.4 million for Bus Passenger Terminals allocated by Ulsterbus Limited (addresses in North Belfast) but spent outside the Belfast North Constituency.

Learning Difficulties

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision there is for young people leaving Moderate Learning Difficulty schools in Northern Ireland; what research on this subject has been carried out or is planned; and when it is intended to publish such research.

Jane Kennedy: Special education legislation imposes duties on Education and Library Boards (ELBs) in the planning for a young person's transition to adult life. The Department of Education's Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs provides further advice on the process. ELBs are required to inform Health and Social Services (HSS) trusts up to a year in advance of a young person, with a Statement of Special Educational Needs, leaving school.
	The first and subsequent annual reviews of a Statement of Special Educational Needs after a young person's 14th birthday should involve the agencies that will play a major role during the post school years, including the relevant HSS Trust and the Department for Employment and Learning's Careers Service, so that all options for further education, training and employment are given serious consideration. Following the meeting the ELB will prepare a transition plan, in order to plan coherently for the young person's transition to adult life. The plan is circulated to the parents, the principal and all other relevant partners.
	A research project entitled "Provision for Pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties", funded by the five ELBs is being undertaken by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). It is currently in its third year and it is hoped to publish its findings by early 2004. The main focus of this research is the current provision for MLD pupils, but the researchers will also endeavour to track the pupils' first destinations on leaving school.

Learning Difficulties

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what after schools provision there is in Northern Ireland for young people with Moderate Learning Difficulties; and what assessment he has made of the level of provision.

Jane Kennedy: After schools provision in Northern Ireland for young people with Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) spans a number of areas and departments.
	The Department for Health and Social Services and Public Safety's Priorities for Action in 2002–03 require Health Boards and Trusts to continue to expand provision of day care and respite places for people with a learning difficulty. Moreover, all four Health and Social Services Boards have identified the development of day care services as a priority area, but funding has been a limiting factor.
	The Department for Employment and Learning's (DEL) Disablement Advisory Service, in conjunction with the Careers Service, provides such young people with help to assist them access appropriate employment and learning after school. There is a range of programmes including "Access to Work", "Employment Support", "Job Introduction Scheme" and "New Deal for Disabled People". Special Needs Careers Officers provide careers information and guidance services both at school and when the young person has left school to ensure that appropriate choices have been made and that the young person has settled into his/her next destination. The officers continue to provide support to those young people who have not secured a placement in education, training or employment on leaving school.
	Should it be considered appropriate, provision is also available through Jobskills and the statutory Further Education sector. Although Jobskills is aimed mainly at 16 and 17-year-old school leavers, young people with disabilities can enter the programme up to their 22nd birthday. DEL has put in place a range of initiatives and financial support mechanisms, in further education, which promote access for young people with MLD, including specific support for individuals.
	In September 2002 the then Ministers for Education, Employment and Learning and Health, Social Services and Public Safety convened a meeting to discuss the issue of transition from full-time education to adulthood for young people with learning disabilities. A working group, chaired by the Department of Education and comprising officials from the relevant departments, was established to consider what could be done to better meet the needs of these young people. Work is ongoing.

Local Enterprise Development Unit (Fraud)

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to investigate the areas of responsibility of former Local Enterprise Development Unit employee Mr.Thomas Gribben; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Invest NI has commissioned a review of those areas of Mr Gribben's responsibilities which were not subject to proper fraud investigation. The terms of reference for the review have been agreed with the Comptroller and Auditor General. This review is expected to be completed in May 2003.

Primary School Funding

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by how much the level of funding per child in primary schools in Northern Ireland differs from those in (a) England and (b) Wales.

Jane Kennedy: The following information is taken from outturn statements published by each of the funding authorities in Northern Ireland and from the DfES Departmental Report:
	
		£
		
			  2000–01 
		
		
			 England 2,280 
			 Northern Ireland 2,148 
		
	
	Direct comparison between these per capita figures is not appropriate given the differences between schools in Northern Ireland and England especially with regard to levels of delegated responsibility, the incidence of small schools and differing levels of social deprivation. Primary per capita expenditure figures for Wales are not available.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Accountancy Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost to her Department was for accountancy services in 2002–03.

Kim Howells: The cost to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport of external accountancy services in the financial year 2002–03 was £452,748. It should be noted that this figure is still subject to end year accrual action.

Age Discrimination

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to address the issue of age discrimination.

Kim Howells: The Department is committed to equal opportunities for all and had already incorporated age into its equal opportunities policy prior to the "Winning the Generation Game" report. The Department is in the process of implementing the final recommendation of the report, with the introduction of a flexible retirement age for those between 60 and 65 years. Action on diversity has and will continue to tackle any negative attitudes towards older staff particularly through the training and development of managers and through the monitoring of recruitment, selection and appraisal statistics.

EU Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the EU Directives and Regulations which have been implemented by her Department since 17th April 2002.

Richard Caborn: The Department has not implemented any Directives or Regulations since 17 April 2002. However, measures required by Council Regulation (EC) No 974/2001 of 14 May 2001 amending Regulation (EEC) 3911/92 on the export of cultural goods were introduced in the UK on 1 September 2002.

Game Plan Report

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations made in the paper 'Game Plan'; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: DCMS is working closely with UK Sport, Sport England, the Devolved Administrations and a wide range of sports governing bodies to take forward the recommendations in the Strategy Unit report, Game Plan, published in December 2002. The Department published its second annual report on the Government's Plan for Sport on 1 April, which also referred to progress with Game Plan. As that report made clear, the first composite report covering implementation of Game Plan and the Government's Plan for Sport will be published in April 2004.

Licence Fees

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received about the Wireless Telegraphy (Television Licence Fees) (Amendment) Regulations.

Kim Howells: The Wireless Telegraphy (Television Licence Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 implemented the licence fee increases announced on 10 February this year and introduced preserved rights for beneficiaries of the Accommodation for Residential Care concession. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has received a number of representations from members of the public and Members of this House on both issues, but information on correspondence relating to television licensing is not held in such a way as to permit a detailed breakdown into individual topics.

Lottery

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of Sport England's Lottery funding was allocated by its regional offices in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion was allocated by the central office of Sport England.

Richard Caborn: Decisions on all Lottery applications during 2002–03, the latest year for which figures are available, were made by Sport England's Lottery Panel. However, in the case of the Active Communities Development Fund each region was given an allocation of funding against which it made recommendations on specific applications to the Lottery Panel. The total allocation to regional offices in respect of this Fund was £9.023 million out of a total budget of £277.432 million.

National Endowment

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received about the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Increase of Endowment) Order.

Kim Howells: None.

Press Office

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people are employed in her Department's Press Office; and how many were employed on 2 May 1997.

Kim Howells: In 1997 the DCMS Press Office employed eight Press Officers At present (2003) the DCMS Press Office employs nine Press Officers

Renewable Energy Facilities

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she has taken to ensure that regional plans for renewable energy take account of the impact of new generating facilities on the tourist industry.

Kim Howells: Well-sited wind farms can co-exist with tourism. It is for regional and local government, including local planning authorities, to consider the impact of policy choices and to find ways to achieve economic, social and environmental objectives at the same time. Our guidance to Regional Development Agencies in respect of their new strategic responsibility for tourism is that they should align their sustainable tourism strategy with other regional strategies.

Television Sub-Titling

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will arrange for information about accessory television sub-titling to be sent to pensioners aged 75 years of age who are new recipients of the free television licence.

Kim Howells: holding answer 28 April 2003
	There are difficulties in using the television licensing system in the way which the hon Member appears to propose. The Television Licences (Disclosure of Information) Act 2000, which provides for the disclosure of social security information to the BBC for the purpose of checking entitlement to the over-75 concession, specifies that this information may be used only in connection with free or reduced-fee licences. Similarly, the assignment of the television licensing database by the Home Office to the BBC in 1991 was subject to the records being used exclusively for administering the television licensing system.
	However, we believe it is in the service providers' best interests actively to promote the availability of subtitling for people with hearing impairments, and I am sure that OFCOM, the new regulator, will work with the broadcasters and other interested parties to promote more widespread access.

Wind Turbines

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from tourist organisations and businesses about plans to site wind turbines near Bradworthy, Devon.

Kim Howells: DCMS has received no such representations.

Wind Turbines

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from tourist organisations and businesses about plans by the South West Regional Development Agency to increase the number of onshore wind turbines in the South West of England.

Kim Howells: DCMS has received no such representations.

Wind Turbines

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact on the tourist industry of plans for additional onshore wind turbines in the South West of England.

Kim Howells: DCMS has made no such assessment. The Government Office for the South West is currently undertaking an overall assessment of a range of renewable energy technologies in the region, including onshore wind.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Service

Tim Boswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will report progress on meeting targets for the proportion of disabled people in senior civil service positions.

Douglas Alexander: As at October 2002, 1.7 per cent. of staff at Senior Civil Service level are disabled, compared with 1.5 per cent. in 1998.
	We have set a target to increase the proportion of disabled staff at SCS level to 3 per cent. by 2005, and we are taking steps to increase the rate of progress.
	This includes refocusing the centrally-run Bursary Scheme for Disabled Staff on staff with potential to reach the Senior Civil Service; producing guidance to support managers on a range of issues including recruitment of disabled people, mental health issues and providing reasonable adjustments; and running a Summer Placement Scheme in 2003 to provide work placements for 60 disabled graduates and undergraduates across the Service.

Public Service Agreement

John Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (a) how many and (b) what grades of officials are responsible for the monitoring of progress towards the public service agreement targets of the Department.

Douglas Alexander: Monitoring progress towards the department's PSA targets is undertaken by a wide variety of staff at all levels of the organisation.

SCOTLAND

North Sea Oil and Gas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) of 8 April 2003, Official Report, column 120W, on North Sea oil and gas, how much has been invested by industry in each year since the PILOT initiative was introduced; and if she will make a statement on how the Government has contributed to the progress of the initiative's objectives.

Brian Wilson: I have been asked to reply.
	PILOT, the successor body to the Oil and Gas Industry Task Force, was formed in January 2000 and works in close partnership with industry to ensure the sustainability of the UK oil and gas industry to 2010 and beyond. The areas of interest to PILOT can be broadly grouped as Activity/Investment, Supply Chain, People and Jobs, Sustainable Development and Technology and Innovation. A number of challenging targets have been set for 2010 and a significant level of work invested by both Government and industry in reaching these targets. They are as follows:
	Production of £3 million boe per day in 2010
	CAPEX investment maintained at £3 billion per year to 2010
	50 per cent. increase in the value of industry-related exports by 2005
	£1 billion of revenue from New Business by 2010
	100,000 more jobs than there would have been in 2010
	Investment by industry
	Operator total spend on new and existing UK oil and gas fields, as provided by UKOOA, are as follows:
	
		
			 Calendar year £ billion 
		
		
			 2000 8 
			 2001 9 
			 2002 9

HEALTH

Autism

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the (a) assessment and (b) screening of children for autism.

Jacqui Smith: These issues are addressed by the National Autism Plan for Children. This Plan will inform the care pathway for autism that is being developed for the forthcoming Children's National Service Framework.

Prison Health Care

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of prison health care.

Jacqui Smith: Standards of prison health care have already been much improved since the establishment in April 2000 of the partnership between the Prison Service and the NHS. My Department's assumption of budgetary responsibility for prison health care from 1 April 2003 will lead to increased investment and further improvements in services.

Agency Nurses

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses he expects to be recruited from agencies in the year to April 2004.

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses were recruited from agencies in 2002.

John Hutton: The information is not collected centrally.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients (a) died and (b) had limbs amputated as a result of infections acquired in NHS hospitals in the most recent year for which estimates are available.

David Lammy: There are no centrally held statistics on the number for deaths or amputations caused by hospital acquired infections.

Prescription-plus System

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the progress of the prescription plus system.

David Lammy: There are 64 specialist neurology centres designated to initiate treatment under the risk-sharing scheme and the majority are now doing so. We estimate that around 300 new patients each month are starting to receive a drug treatment for their multiple sclerosis.

Food Safety (Acrylamide)

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the prevalence of acrylamide in cooked and prepared food.

Hazel Blears: The Food Standards Agency is taking a central role in co-ordination of international efforts to determine the extent of acrylamide formation in foods.
	Food Standards Agency funded research includes a survey of acrylamide in the UK diet, which will be reported in autumn 2003.

Performance Star Ratings

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the NHS performance star ratings in 2003 will take the same form as in 2002.

John Hutton: From this year, the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) will be responsible for publication of NHS Performance Ratings. CHI will broadly follow the methods used for 2001–02. This year will also be the first time that full performance ratings will be given to Mental Health and Primary Care Trusts.

PET Scanners

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the use in the NHS of PET scanners.

Hazel Blears: There are five PET scanners in NHS hospitals in England that are used routinely for clinical assessment. In addition there are four PET scanners located in dedicated research facilities as well as three private facilities available for NHS patients.

Lymphoedema

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of training for NHS nurses in the practical elements of treatment for lymphoedema.

John Hutton: We will be investing in the region of £90 million per year over the next three years in training for qualified nurses in the national health service. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence breast cancer guidance published last summer addressed the management of lymphoedema. This will guide local decisions on appropriate staffing for a lymphoedema service and associated needs such as training.

Agency Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters he has received from (a) hon. Members and (b) NHS trust chief executives regarding the need to employ agency staff to cover vacancies.

John Hutton: The Department has received 59 letters from hon. Members and 15 from members of the public concerning issues around the use of agency staff between April 2002 and March 2003. It is not possible to separately identify letters from trust chief executives.

Alzheimer's Disease

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the level of public funding for research into Alzheimer's disease in each of the last six years.

Jacqui Smith: The main Government agency for research into the causes and treatments of disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its funding from the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology. The MRCs expenditure on research into Alzheimer's disease, general dementia and related conditions is shown in the table.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1997–98 5.5 
			 1998–99 6.0 
			 1999–2000 7.2 
			 2000–01 8.2 
			 2001–02 6.6 
			 2002–03 not available 
		
	
	The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in health and social care. The Department's expenditure on research into Alzheimer's disease and dementia is shown in the table.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1997–98 0.4 
			 1998–99 3.2 
			 1999–2000 1.0 
			 2000–01 4.7 
			 2001–02 2.9 
			 2002–03 1.6

Amey Plc

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many PFI contracts his Department or its agencies (a) have with and (b) are being tendered for by (i) Amey plc and (ii) consortia involving Amey plc; what the total value is of those contracts; what the average length is of the contracts or proposed contracts; and what assessment his Department has made of the financial position of Amey plc and the implications for his Department.

John Hutton: Amey pic. does not have, nor is it bidding for, any major private finance initiative (PFI) hospital schemes with National Health Service trusts.
	Information on bidders is not held centrally for PFI hospital schemes with a capital value below £20 million.

Cancer and Heart Disease (Hemsworth)

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of (a) cancer patients and (b) heart disease patients were successfully treated in (i) the Hemsworth constituency and (ii) England in the last 12 months.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 28 April 2003
	There were 7,111 in-patient consultant episodes for cancer and 18,490 for heart disease in national health service trusts within the West Yorkshire strategic health authority area in 2001–02. These figures are not available at constituency level. The numbers of in-patient consultant episodes for England for cancer and heart disease for the same year were 140,912 and 383,062 respectively.
	It is not possible to calculate how many patients were treated successfully as there is no agreed definition of "successfully treated".

Commission for Health Improvement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Commission for Health Improvement is able to charge a fee to an NHS body in respect of its function to conduct a review or investigation of that body.

John Hutton: The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) does not charge a fee to a national health service body in respect of its function to conduct a review.
	CHI also has a statutory function to conduct special investigations into particular areas of concern in the delivery of healthcare. CHI's costs of investigations are recovered by the Department of Health from the relevant strategic health authority (SHA). The SHA is free to recover the costs from the organisation concerned.

Correspondence

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he will reply to the letter dated 2 January 2003 from Councillor Yash Gupta of Thurrock borough council about health and social care;
	(2)  why he has not yet replied to (a) the letter of Councillor Yash Gupta of Thurrock borough council about health and social care dated 2 January 2003 and (b) his two reminder letters of 2 February and 8 March 2003.

David Lammy: A reply was sent to Councillor Yash Gupta on 26 March 2003.

Dementia

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of pensioners were suffering from dementia in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: This information is not routinely collected. From research, it is estimated that about five per cent. of people over 65 have dementia.

Dentists

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists worked within the NHS in each year since 1997; and what steps he has taken to ensure people have access to an NHS dentist.

David Lammy: The number of dentists seeing national health service patients at 30 September in each of the years 1997 to 2001 is shown in the table.
	
		England
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Number of dentists 20,506 21,066 21,587 21,931 22,506 
		
	
	The corresponding figure for September 2002 is not yet available.
	Among other initiatives, the following steps have been taken in recent years to improve access to NHS dentistry in England:
	£10 million was made available between 1997 and 1999 under the Investing in Dentistry scheme to allow dentists to increase their NHS commitment or start new practices in areas of poor access.
	A Dental Care Development Fund of £4 million was made available in 2000–01, along with £6 million Dental Action Plan money in 2001–02, to allow practices to grow and treat more patients.
	49 dental access centres have been established since 1998, treating unregistered patients in areas of poor access.
	The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill, currently before Parliament, proposes that each primary care trust be given a duty to provide or secure primary dental services to the extent it considers reasonable to do so. This would mean that access issues could be addressed at the local level.
	People wishing to find a dentist should call NHS Direct. They will be put in touch with their nearest dentist accepting new NHS patients.

EU Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the EU Directives and Regulations which have been implemented by his Department since 17 April 2002.

John Hutton: The Department of Health has led on the implementation of two Directives since 17 April 2002:
	Directive 2001/37 European Parliament and the Council of 5 June 2001 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products was transposed by the Tobacco Products (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale (Safety)) Regulations 2002 (SI 3041). These regulations were made and laid on 10 December 2002. The Regulations entered force on 31 December 2002.
	Council Directive 90/385/EEC, Council Directive 93/42/EEC, Directive 98/79/EC of the European Parliament and the Council, Directive 2000/70/EC of the European Parliament of the Council, Directive 2001/104/EC of the European Parliament and the Council were transposed by the Medical Devices Regulations 2002 (SI 2002 No 618—came into force on 13 June 2002.

Hospital Inspections

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times, on average, NHS hospitals are inspected each year; and by whom.

John Hutton: The only body which undertakes a full inspection of national health service hospitals is the Commission for Health Improvement, which undertakes a rolling programme of clinical governance reviews. On average, each trust might be inspected once every four years.
	There are other Department of Health organisations which inspect differing aspects of the provision of hospital care at infrequent intervals, but these are not full inspections and generally focus on one particular aspect of healthcare provision. These include Community Health Councils, which can inspect NHS hospitals at any time and patient environment action teams, which visit NHS hospitals annually to assess standards of cleanliness.

Information Technology

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's (a) total managed expenditure, (b) total spending on Information Technology and (c) spending on Information Technology as a proportion of its total managed expenditure was in each financial year since 1997–98.

John Hutton: The National Health Service does not separately identify spend on information technology, so exact figures are not available. Net NHS expenditure in England for 2002–03—estimated out-turn—is £54.4 billion. Estimated baseline spend for 2002–03 was collected which indicated some £850 million of expenditure for information technology was anticipated. The indicative amount of £850 million spent on information technology as a proportion of total NHS spend is 1.6 per cent.

National Insurance

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost will be to public funds in 2003–04 of the rise in national insurance contributions on the salary bill of his Department.

David Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the response given by my right hon. Friend, the then Chief Secretary to Her Majesty's Treasury, Andrew Smith, on 29 April 2002, Official Report, vol. 384, column. 542W.

NHS Charges

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether charges are applied to NHS patients who are (a) referred to private hospitals and (b) treated in European countries; and if he will make a statement on the extent to which the NHS is dependent on foreign and private hospitals.

John Hutton: Making use of spare capacity in the United Kingdom and in Europe can be an effective and appropriate way of increasing capacity available to treat national health service patients. NHS hospital treatment, wherever it is carried out, is provided free at the point of delivery.

NHS Operations

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were carried out in private hospitals at NHS expense, broken down by (a) hospital and (b) PCT area in the past year.

John Hutton: The Department of Health does not hold information on operations carried out on National Health Service patients by private hospitals.

NHS Services (Durham)

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of capital investment in the NHS has been in County Durham since 1997.

John Hutton: The capital expenditure of National Health Service organisations within the County Durham and Darlington Health Authority since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Financial Year £000 
		
		
			 1997–98 4,107 
			 1998–99 3,506 
			 1999–2000 6,088 
			 2000–01 25,879 
			 2001–02 35,550 
		
	
	Source:
	Health Authority audited accounts 1997–98 and 1998–99
	Health Authority audited summarisation forms 1999–2000 to 2001–02
	NHS Trust audited summarisation schedules 1997–98 to 2001–02

NHS Staff (Military Service)

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) general practitioners and (b) other NHS staff, broken down by category, in the area served by South Wiltshire Primary Care Trust have been called up for military service in the Iraq conflict; what arrangements have been made (i) to cover their absence and (ii) to fund replacement staff; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: I am advised by the Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority that one general practitioner and two national health service staff, one consultant surgeon and one nurse, working in the area served by South Wiltshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), have been called out for military service in Iraq.
	To cover the GP's absence, South Wiltshire PCT has asked part-time general practitioners to work extra hours. The PCT is not required to pay the called out GP during his period of service, as this is covered by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which means the PCT has been able to redirect this money to the part-time GPs for the extra hours they are working. The PCT should also be able to recover any other costs associated with setting up this arrangement, for example, advertising, etc. from the MOD.
	For the consultant surgeon and nurse, their employer, the Salisbury Healthcare NHS Trust, has contracted an associate specialist on a locum basis and utilised bank nurses. Similarly, the trust is not required to pay the salaries of the surgeon and the nurse during their period of service as these are covered by the MOD and has therefore been able to redirect these funds to pay the associate specialist and bank nurses for the cover they are providing. The trust should also be able to recover any other costs associated with setting up this arrangement from the MOD.
	The Department of Health has been working closely with the NHS and the MOD to ensure the impact on health care delivery as a result of call outs of NHS staff with military commitments for service in Iraq has been kept to a minimum.

NHS Treatments

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many tattoo removals were performed by the National Health Service in 2002.

John Hutton: This information is not collected centrally. During 2001–02, there were 123 finished consultant episodes which treated disorders relating to tattoo pigmentation and the removal of skin by the National Health Service.

NHS Treatments

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sex change operations were performed by the National Health Service in 2002.

John Hutton: Hospital episode statistics show 89 operations for gender reassignment were performed in the National Health Service in 2001–02.

Overseas Health Treatment

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the number of NHS patients who will receive treatment in 2003 in hospitals in EU states outside the UK for (a) hip joint replacements, (b) knee joint replacements, (c) coronary artery by-pass grafts and (d) other cardiac surgical procedures.

John Hutton: Patients can receive treatment abroad through either the E112 scheme or through direct referral from their national health service trust.
	No estimate can be provided for the number of patients that will receive treatment in European Union states in 2003 under the E112 scheme. It is usually patients themselves who initiate the application for referrals, but they also need to obtain the support of the United Kingdom specialist doctor responsible for their care and their local health commissioner.
	The option of referring patients abroad is open to all NHS commissioners and so the number of patients treated abroad will be dependent on the take-up of the scheme by NHS trusts. Overseas treatment will be offered nationally to patients within the choice strategy framework from the end of 2005 as one of several options if alternatives are not available in this country. Before then, overseas treatment will be offered on a localised basis in order to provide a more comprehensive choice for patients to meet local circumstances as well as contestability of provision.

Overseas Health Treatment

Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for how many patients in each of the last five years the NHS has funded treatment in another European Union country.

John Hutton: Regulation (EEC) 1408/71 is the European legislation that co-ordinates the healthcare schemes of the member states. In principle, each member state is responsible for paying for treatment given to its own insured persons in another member state. The United Kingdom has bilateral cost arrangements with most other member states, the terms of which vary from member state to member state.
	The main groups of people covered by the Regulation are temporary visitors, referred patients, posted workers and state pensioners who have retired to another member state. Claims from foreign authorities are often aggregated to cover several groups across the whole of the United Kingdom.
	There is no central record distinguishing numbers of patients from England, Scotland and Wales treated in other European Union member states. The Department of Health makes settlements in respect of the United Kingdom as a whole.
	Information about patients from England, Scotland and Wales referred abroad using the E112 procedure is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Year Number of E112s issued 
		
		
			 1998 813 
			 1999 861 
			 2000 1,099 
			 2001 1,139 
			 2002 1,120 
		
	
	In addition to the patients referred abroad under Regulation (EEC) 1408/71, some patients have been referred abroad directly by their National Health Service trust. 190 patients were referred as part of a centrally funded pilot scheme between January and April 2002. Since the pilot, 34 patients were referred by their NHS trust in 2002. A further 218 patients have been referred in 2003 to date. All of these patients were referred abroad by English trusts.

Overseas Health Treatment

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients have been sent to France for treatment.

John Hutton: Patients can be referred for treatment abroad under the European Union-wide health care co-ordination regulations (the E112 scheme), or through direct referral from their national health service trust.
	The table shows the number of patients referred for treatment in France under each of these systems in 2002, and from 1 January to 31 March 2003.
	
		
			 Referral route 2002 2003 
		
		
			 E112 467 104 
			 Direct referral 143 218

Physical Activity

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department has made available to promote physical activity.

Hazel Blears: The Department of Health is committed to developing policies that provide people with the skills, information and support to make and sustain healthy lifestyle choices.
	Between April 2002 and March 2003, the Department made available £710,000 to fund a physical activity programme to:
	develop and communicate the evidence base for physical activity;
	support the delivery of Planning and Priorities Framework (PPF) targets and National Service Framework milestones; and
	work with other Government Departments and stakeholders to enhance opportunities for physical activity.
	This does not take account of the significant local activity funded by primary care trusts through their devolved budgets to increase physical activity for those at risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes, such as exercise referral schemes.
	Feeding into all three strands of the programme and accounting for £450,000 of the funding allocation in 2002–03 are the local exercise action pilots (LEAP).
	The Department, in partnership with the Countryside Agency and Sport England, is investing £2.6 million in LEAP over the next three years to test out innovative approaches to increasing access and participation in physical activity.

Physical Activity

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to primary care trusts on promoting physical activity.

Hazel Blears: During the past five years, the Department of Health has commissioned in excess of 13 publications providing physical activity-related guidance and briefing and a number of effectiveness reviews.
	These publications are aimed at supporting the planning, monitoring and implementation of physical activity interventions and are relevant to policy makers and practitioners in a range of settings, including primary care trusts. For example, the national quality assurance framework for exercise referral systems and the subsequent register of exercise professionals were produced to help improve standards of exercise referral programmes.
	Later this year, the Chief Medical Officer will publish a report which sets out the case for physical activity and health. It will bring together the latest research evidence on physical activity and how it can contribute to improved health.

Private Health Firms

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals in the UK have management franchised out to private firms; whether management can be returned to the public sector at any time; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Following the publication of the 2001 Performance Ratings, six National Health Service Trusts in England had their management franchised to experienced managers from within the NHS. Management of hospitals in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for the devolved Administrations.
	No NHS trusts have had their management franchised to a private sector organisation.

Radiotherapy (Havering)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on radiotherapy services at Oldchurch hospital in the London borough of Havering;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the availability of radiotherapy to patients living in the London borough of Havering;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on the waiting times for radiotherapy in (a) Oldchurch hospital, Havering and (b) St. Bartholomew's hospital, City of London.

John Hutton: Waiting times for radiotherapy are not collected centrally.
	The national health service is making an unprecedented investment in new radiotherapy facilities, streamlining care processes through the cancer services collaborative and working to best utilise the current work force and to increase the number of staff in post and in training.
	Barking, Havering and Redbridge National Health Service Trust, with the support of local primary care trusts, has taken a number of steps to improve access to radiotherapy services, including:
	a refurbished linear accelerator at Oldchurch hospital;
	developing and implementing a recruitment and retention strategy for therapy radiographers;
	achieving accreditation from the Society of Radiographers to become a training centre for student radiographers; and
	invested in new equipment to provide superficial radiotherapy treatment allowing patients to have the option of being treated locally rather than in Central London.

Sarah Lawson

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the report into the death of Miss Sarah Lawson in Worthing undertaken by the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority will be published;
	(2)  whether the report and findings of the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority report into the death of Miss Sarah Lawson in Worthing will be published in full; and if he will make a statement on the policy of his Department on such inquiries.

Hazel Blears: holding answers 28 April 2003
	The independent panel is currently completing its work and preparing the final report. We are unable to provide an exact date as to when the report will be published, or whether it will be published in full. However, Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority is committed to publishing the findings and recommendations of the independent panel's inquiry.
	When a serious incident occurs, leading to serious harm or death, the requirements of those affected should be a primary concern to the trust involved, the strategic health authority and the agency undertaking the investigation. Any contact should be undertaken in a respectful, dignified and compassionate manner.
	"Building a Safer NHS for Patients", published in 2001, sets out the development of a new national system for learning from adverse events. It describes how an improved system for handling investigations and inquiries across the national health service will be developed in future.

Working Time Directive

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the minimum number of specialist registrars necessary to provide 24-hour resident cover in acute hospitals in compliance with the Working Time Directive.

John Hutton: While the number of doctors on an individual rota will generally have to increase, the intention of the Department's guidance—HSC 2003/001 "Protecting Staff, Delivering Services—Implementing the European Working Time Directive for Doctors in Training"—is that trusts should find ways to reduce the number of resident rotas. Thus, the total staffing requirement does not increase substantially as a result of the Working Time Directive.

Stroke Treatment

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning the treatment of stroke victims at Eastbourne District General Hospital since 1992.

Hazel Blears: The Department has not received any representations concerning the treatment of stroke victims at Eastbourne District General Hospital since 1997.
	Information about representations that may have been received before 1997 can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Waiting Times Initiative

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been allocated to the waiting times initiative in each of the past three years.

John Hutton: This information is not centrally available as allocations for waiting time reductions are not hypothecated. It is for local National Health Service organisations to decide how best to use the available resources made through general and capital allocations to meet the national priorities.
	Funding to support the delivery of these priorities will grow over the next three years, from £61.3 billion in 2003–04 to £67.4 billion in 2004–05 and £74.4 billion in 2005–06.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Command Paper 5778

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  which parts of the Children Act 1989 are failing to be implemented effectively as set out in paragraph 2.22 of Command Paper 5778;
	(2)  what parts of the Children Act 1989 which fall under his responsibility are failing to be implemented effectively as set out in paragraph 2.22 of Command Paper 5778.

Hilary Benn: The White paper "Respect and Responsibility—Taking a Stand Against Anti-social Behaviour" encourages the development of an increased range of specialised, intensive support schemes to help parents and children. These schemes aim to support families where a lack of parental capacity or ability contributes significantly to the child's behavioural problems.
	The Children Act is a shared responsibility across Government, which involves departments working in partnership to ensure delivery for families and children. Our aim is to increase the range of ways in which the family support provisions of the Children Act can be realised.

Antisocial Behaviour

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what public opinion research was commissioned by his Department in the preparation of the Anti-social Behaviour Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: We did not commission any public opinion research in preparation of the Anti-social Behaviour Bill. However, the British Crime Survey 2001–02 reported that one in three people perceived Anti-social behaviour to be a problem in their area.

Antisocial Behaviour

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial assistance is available from his Department for initiatives to divert young people from Anti-social behaviour.

Bob Ainsworth: The Home Office contributes to various diversionary schemes for young people. The results have been encouraging and evidence from them suggests strong arguments for the potentially positive contribution that diversionary activities can make in helping and preventing young people who are involved, or are at risk of becoming involved in crime and Anti-social behaviour.
	Positive Activities for Young People fund is to be launched in May 2003. This pulls together under one initiative, a range of funding to provide year round activities for young people. £25 million is available for 2003, which comprises contributions from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) (New Opportunities Fund), the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (Connexions) and Home Office (Community Cohesion and Splash), and will be distributed by the Government Offices.
	The Home Office also funds a scheme called Positive Futures, which promotes the use of sport to reduce Anti-social behaviour, crime and drug misuse among 10 to 16-year-olds from selected/disadvantaged neighbourhoods. In 2002–03 the budget for Positive Futures was £4 million, of which £2.6 million was from the Home Office. In the 2002 Comprehensive Spending Review, the Positive Futures programme received an additional £15 million over the next three years. This will be spent on developing existing projects, of which there are currently 67, and on creating a third phase of projects.

Civil Emergencies

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned into the preparedness of (a) the emergency services, (b) the NHS, (c) central government and (d) local authorities in the event of a civil emergency.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	Levels of preparedness in the event of a civil emergency are primarily determined through testing and exercising. Government Departments, the emergency services and local authorities have all exercised their contingency plans for many years. Earlier this year a cross-governmental working party was established to provide a formal mechanism for reviewing Departmental exercise plans covering a comprehensive range of domestic challenges and counter terrorist areas of activity. The aim of this group is to create a prioritised programme of exercises that will reflect and test effectively the range of lead Government Department responsibilities and the involvement of the devolved administrations, regional and local authorities and interdependent communities of interest. Local authorities are encouraged to prepare flexible plans for responding to a wide variety of peacetime hazards, and these plans are also regularly tested, reviewed and updated as circumstances change.
	Exercises at local, regional and national levels involve a wide range of participants including the emergency services, and local authorities and the NHS. Such exercises are used to monitor current levels of preparedness, to identify best practice and to identify areas for further improvement.

Community Support Officers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evaluation he has commissioned into the use of community support officers.

Bob Ainsworth: As a condition of their funding each of the 27 forces who currently have community support officers (CSOs) are required to provide an annual evaluation of their effectiveness to the Home Office.
	In addition the six forces who are piloting the use of detention powers by CSOs are subject to a separate evaluation by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 27 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Amanat Ullah;

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 April 2003.

Criminal Justice Bill

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Kevin Brennan) of 18 March 2003, Official Report, column 702W, on the Criminal Justice Bill, how many children and young people under the age of 18 are serving detention for life under section 91 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000.

Hilary Benn: On 28 February 2003, 43 young people under the age of 18 were in custody serving sentences of detention for life under section 91 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000.

Drugs

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of recorded crime in the Hemsworth constituency was drug-related in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

Bob Ainsworth: Recorded crime figures include statistics on drugs offences, such as possession, and on acquisitive crimes, such as burglary, but do not record whether the latter are related to an offender's drug habits.
	However, the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) research programme, which involves interviewing and drug testing those arrested by the police, confirms a link between drug misuse and crime, although the conclusions do not relate specifically to Hemsworth. Analysis of the data from the first eight sites in the survey, collected during 1999–2000, shows that 65 per cent. of arrestees provided a urine sample that tested positive for one or more illegal drug. The analysis also shows that up to 29 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for opiates (including heroin) and/or cocaine (including crack).
	As a guide to the proportion of crime that is drug-related, analysis of the NEW-ADAM self-report data indicates that while only 21 per cent. of non-drug using arrestees reported having previously offended in the past 12 months, this figure rises to 75 per cent. for those arrestees who use heroin and/or cocaine/crack. Moreover, while users of both heroin and cocaine/crack represented just under one quarter of all arrestees interviewed, they were responsible for more than three fifths of all the illegal income reported.
	In support of this, 55 per cent. of arrestees who reported using one or more drugs in the last 12 months and committing one or more acquisitive crimes, acknowledged a link between their drug use and their offending behaviour. This proportion rose to 78 per cent. for arrestees who said they had used heroin and cocaine/crack.

Drugs

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the drug offences recorded by the police in the 12 months to December 2002 were offences of (a) possession and (b) trafficking.

Bob Ainsworth: Eighty-five per cent. of drug offences recorded by the police in the 12 months to December 2002 were recorded as drug possession, compared to 15 per cent. recorded as trafficking. Other types of drug offences accounted for less than 1 per cent.

Drugs

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when tranquilliser drugs known as benzodiazepines were first classified; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to refer the scheduling of benzodiazepines to the advisory council on the misuse of drugs;
	(3)  what plans he has to review the scheduling of benzodiazepine drugs; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Substances known as benzodiazepines have been controlled as Class C drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 since 1 April 1986. They have legitimate uses as medicines and are regulated under Schedule 4 Part 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, with the exception of temazepam and flunitrazepam which are regulated under Schedule 3. On 1 February 2002, the benzodiazepines under Schedule 4 Part 1 were made subject to full import, export and possession controls (temazepam and flunitrazepam were already subject to such controls).
	The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs keeps the classification and scheduling of all controlled drugs under regular review. Under the 1971 Act, the Home Secretary must consult with the Council before making changes to the control of individual drugs.
	If any organisation or individual believes that benzodiazepines might be inappropriately classified or scheduled, they are encouraged to make submissions to the Home Office. These would be carefully considered and, if found to represent a credible case, would be referred to the Advisory Council.

External Reports

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the title and subject, (b) the total cost to his Department and (c) the commissioned author or organisation of each external report commissioned by his Department in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: We estimate that the total cost of external research commissioned by the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate between 1997–98 and 2001–02 (the latest year for which figures were available) was £39.3 million. In addition, the estimated total cost of other external reports included in the table was £6.7million.
	For this purpose, external reports are those that are produced at the request of the Department by a person, group or organisation external to the Department, and which are publicly available.
	(1) Research, Development and Statistics
	The Home Office commissions a wide range of research activities that support the development of information-led policy. All research reports published by the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate since 1997 are available in the House of Commons Library. Some of these publications have input from external authors as well as Home Office officials, and each publication identifies and credits the authorship of the publication. The latest list of RDS publications since 1997 has been placed in the Library.
	(2) Community Policy
	Public perceptions of identity/entitlement cards qualitative research, November 2002, Cragg Ross; Omnibus Identity/entitlement card attitudinal research in Great Britain, December 2002, RSGB;
	Omnibus identity/entitlement card attitudinal research in the United Kingdom, February 2003, RSGB;
	Black and Minority Ethnic Group identity/entitlement card attitudinal research, March 2003, Taylor Nelson Sofres; and
	Independent Review of Coroners Services. Due for completion by Easter 2003. A date for publication is still to be confirmed.
	(3) Corporate Development and Services Group
	Models of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender staff networks. A Report for the Home Office Human Resources Equality Unit. Prepared by Stonewall, April 2002.
	(4) Police Resources Unit
	Police Standards Unit has produced one report that is publicly available, but it was written internally (on Parking Priority Areas) and they have commissioned one external report, but it is not publicly available (only to a police audience—on Streetcrime);
	The Impact of Population Sparsity on the Cost of provision of Police Services from ORH, 1998;
	Police Costs and Population Characteristics—PA Consulting, 1999;
	Change Proposals to Increase the Presence of Police in Communities, Policing Bureaucracy Taskforce, chaired by Sir David O'Dowd, 17 September 2002;
	Distraction burglary among older adults and ethnic minority communities: to be published shortly—Salford Mental Health Services and Studio III Clinical Services; and
	PSDB publish a wide range of specialist scientific reports. Where these do not bear a national security classification, they are placed on the PSDB website, and those of more general interest, have been placed in the House of Commons Library. They sometimes contain data commissioned from external scientific laboratories.
	(5) Youth Justice Board (since 1999)
	Mental Health need and offending in adolescents leaving secure care, University of Manchester;
	Reducing Street Crime—Enterprise LSE Ltd;
	Assessment of AIM Initiative—University of Birmingham;
	Mapping and Exploring Services for young people who sexually abuse, University of Durham;
	Custodial regimes Policy Research Bureau;
	Detention and Training Order Outcomes Policy Research Bureau;
	Ethnic minorities—University of Oxford;
	Youth Offending Team Structures, Morgan Harris and Burrows;
	Appropriate Adults—Surrey University;
	Learning Styles—Nottingham/Oxford University;
	Smart Thinking Programme Citizenship Foundation;
	Restorative Justice Approaches with Looked After Children—Hertfordshire University;
	Brinsford Young Offenders Institute Restorative Justice programme—De Montfort University;
	Oxford University Reconviction Study;
	Reconviction Study—Institute of Education;
	Reconviction Study—Policy Research Bureau;
	Reconviction Study—Essex University; Reconviction Study—Surrey University;
	Reconviction Study—Sheffield University;
	Continuity of mental health provision for custody to the community, University of Manchester;
	Differential sentencing—NACRO;
	Extension study restorative justice in schools evaluation, Oxford/Partners in evaluation;
	Youth Survey—MORI;
	Bail Supervision and Support Evaluation—NACRO Cymru;
	Referral Orders—CGEY;
	Drug research—Galahad Substance Misuse Solutions Ltd;
	Extended ASSET research—Oxford University;
	Detention and Training Orders—PA Consulting Evaluation of short term;
	Review of police and social services data—Social Information Systems;
	Retrospective study on pyos—NACRO;
	Comparison of Secure Training Centres, Local Authority Secure Units and Young Offenders Institutes—NACRO;
	Restorative Justice in schools—PiE;
	Reengagement with education—Ecotec;
	Review of sentencing decisions—Policy Research Bureau;
	Health/education workers—NACRO;
	Reconviction Study across secure estat—NACRO;
	Multi systematic therapy—University of Manchester;
	Schools Omnibus—Mori;
	Training in European funding opportunities—EISS (University of Kent);
	Final Warning Research—Social Information Systems;
	Asset Research—University of Oxford;
	Detention and Training Order Research Policy—Research Bureau /NACRO;
	Focus Groups—Mori;
	Smart Thinking Programme—The Citizenship Foundation;
	London Street Crime Scoping Exercise—Marion Fitzgerald;
	Be Your Best—Be your Best Rock Challenge;
	Old Street Magistrates Court—Community Advice Project;
	Software system—Viewpoint Organisation;
	Development of Youth Offending Team Victim policies—NACRO;
	Restorative Justice pilot project—Oxford/Partners in evaluation;
	Housing Survey—CGEY;
	Multi systematic therapy—University of Manchester;
	Interventions supporting final warnings, Sheffield University;
	Evaluation of board funded Restorative Justice and CB programmes, Oxford University;
	Evaluation of board funded parenting programmes—Policy Research Bureau;
	Evaluation of board funded drug and alcohol programmes—Essex University;
	Evaluation of board funded mentoring programmes—Surrey University; Evaluation of board funded education employment programmes—Institute of Education; and
	Victim Assessment tool—NACRO.

Firearms

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the processes of procuring illegal firearms in England; and what plans he has to tackle these processes.

Bob Ainsworth: A review of stolen firearms statistics is currently in hand to determine the size of the problem and identify what scope there is to reduce the number of legal weapons becoming available to criminals. A project to research the market for the supply of firearms for criminal use and the sources for procurement is planned for later this year.
	Much is being done across the board to reduce gun crime and the availability of firearms. The National Criminal Intelligence Service has expanded its firearms section and has a key role in pulling together, acting on and sharing good quality intelligence, particularly on the supply and movement of firearms. This is also likely to assist in the current research project in terms of tracking stolen weapons.
	The setting up of the National Firearms Forensic Intelligence Database, supported by £1.4 million funding from the Home Office, will facilitate the linking of firearms offences through the automatic correlation of ballistics tests. This will contribute to a strategic overview of national firearm trends which will be available to all forces. Data is already being recorded on the information database in respect of cases submitted to the Forensic Science Service after 1 April 2003; the Integrated Ballistic Information System is currently being validated.

Gwent Police

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the report of the inquiry into the conduct of ex-Acting Chief Constable Richard Thomas of Gwent Police will be published.

Bob Ainsworth: pursuant to the reply, 27 January 2003, c. 707
	The report referred to is the property of Gwent Police, and not Gwent Police Authority, and it is for the Chief Constable to decide whether it should be disclosed. I am advised by Gwent Police that the report will not be published.

Hemsworth Crime

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders were dealt with for supply offences in respect of Class A drugs in the Hemsworth constituency in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is not available at constituency level.
	However, data from the Home Office Court Appearances and Cautions Drugs Database shows that the number of persons in the West Yorkshire police force area who were dealt with for supply offences involving Class A drugs in 2000 was 1,159. These are the latest figures available at the present time.

Hemsworth Crime

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug treatment and testing orders have been made in the Hemsworth constituency since they were introduced.

Bob Ainsworth: Between 1 October 2000 when the order was first rolled out to all courts in England and Wales and 31 March 2003 (which is the latest month for which figures are available) 573 Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) were made in West Yorkshire. Separate figures for Hemsworth are not held centrally.

Killings

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many killings have taken place in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the past five years expressed as (i) a total and (ii) a percentage of their respective populations.

Hilary Benn: The numbers of homicides currently recorded in England and in Wales for each year from 1997–98 to 2001–02 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Population (mid year estimates for previous year) Currently recorded homicides Homicides as a percentage of population 
		
		
			 England
			 1997–98 49,089,085 579 0.0012 
			 1998–99 49,284,242 623 0.0013 
			 1999–2000 49,494,582 650 0.0013 
			 2000–01 49,752,864 743 0.0015 
			 2001–02 49,997,089 798 0.0016 
			 
			 Wales
			 1997–98 2,921,075 32 0.0011 
			 1998–99 2,926,933 29 0.0010 
			 1999–2000 2,933,324 32 0.0011 
			 2000–01 2,937,027 40 0.0014 
			 2001–02 2,946,195 34 0.0012

Paedophiles

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of offenders based in the UK who are involved in the distribution of paedophile images over the internet.

Hilary Benn: There are no reliable estimates of the number of active paedophiles in the UK, or of the scale of demand for indecent photographs of children via the internet.
	In 2001, 289 offenders were convicted of offences under section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978 as amended, which deals with taking, making, distribution, possession with intent to distribute, and advertising of indecent images, and 51 under S 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 which deals with possession. However, recent high profile operations such as Operation Ore indicate a far higher level of activity. The police estimate that there are thousands of individuals in this country actively involved in the distribution of such images in the UK. Distribution can involve behaviour ranging from swapping of a few images between individuals to running a major commercial internet site. Figures from the Internet Watch Foundation indicate that less than 3 per cent. of illegal sites they identify are hosted in the UK.

Police Custody Suites

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grants are available for (a) renovation and (b) new build for police custody suites; what health and safety reports are made on custody suites; and when health and safety reports on custody suites are made available to the public.

Bob Ainsworth: In 2003–04, capital grant of £97 million and grant towards the cost of borrowing £73 million has been allocated to support police capital programmes. It is for each police authority and chief constable to decide the content of their programme in the light of local priorities.
	In addition, three authorities are developing custody suite facilities using the private finance initiative, supported by grant.
	Under a scheme to encourage premises improvements, grant has been provided to support a range of projects including four involving custody facilities.
	The management of health and safety within police forces, including custody suites, is the responsibility of the chief officer, employing specialist advice from the Home Office, force health and safety advisers and the Health and Safety Executive as appropriate.
	Where custody suite provision has been contracted out to a service provider, the organisation that owns the custody suite premises is responsible for health and safety.
	It is at the discretion of the chief officer whether or not the results of any risk assessments, internal audits or external inspections are published.

Police

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) the total cost and (b) the cost per officer was of recruiting and training new police constables for each police service in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Bob Ainsworth: No central records are kept of the overall cost of recruiting or training new police constables for each police service in England and Wales.
	However, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) as part of the thematic inspection of probationary police training in England and Wales attempted to ascertain the investment involved in providing probationer training on a national basis. The total cost of the Probationer Training Programme for 2000–01 was £162,925,544. A breakdown by force was published in "Training Matters": A HMIC thematic inspection of probationer police training in England and Wales 2002.
	When determining rates of payment for the Crime Fighting Fund, it was agreed with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities that £1,000 should be included for the recruitment of each new officer. This was up-rated to £1,056 in 2002–03.

Prisons

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates serving sentences in prisons in England and Wales were in category (a) A, (b) B, (c) C and (d) D in each month from March 2002.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 28 April 2003
	The information requested is shown in the following table. The data shown relates to adult male sentenced prisoners, as these are the only prisoners to receive this form of categorisation.
	
		
			 Date (as at the last working dayof each month) CAT A CAT B CAT C CAT D 
		
		
			 28 March 2002 751 8,288 29,527 4,537 
			 30 April 2002 768 8,268 29,585 4,646 
			 31 May 2002 760 8,309 29,702 4,603 
			 28 June 2002 762 8,290 29,688 4,673 
			 31 July 2002 782 8,324 29,371 4,680 
			 30 August 2002 774 8,343 29,577 4,769 
			 30 September 2002 782 8,420 29,801 4,921 
			 31 October 2002 781 8,419 30,174 5,043 
			 29 November 2002 784 8,496 30,535 4,940 
			 31 December 2002 784 8,593 29,756 4,495 
			 31 January 2003 775 8,558 30,093 4,400 
			 28 February 2003 111 8,580 30,756 4,608 
			 31 March 2003 781 8,518 31,215 4,964

Prisons

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average population was of remand prisoners in prisons in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: The average population of remand prisoners in prisons in England and Wales in each of the last five years is given in the table.
	
		
			 Year Average population of remand prisoners 
		
		
			 1998 12,568 
			 1999 12,521 
			 2000 11,276 
			 2001 11,238 
			 2002 12,734

Terrorist Safeguards

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the terrorist safeguards in place in the Solihull and Birmingham areas, with particular reference to (a) tools, (b) legislation and (c) funding.

David Blunkett: Safeguards are in place right across the country to combat the threat posed by terrorism. It would not be appropriate in the interests of security to comment on the particular safeguards or operational procedures adopted by a local area. Day to day operational considerations are a matter for the heads of the appropriate authorities in that area.
	Before 11 September, the UK already had strong anti-terrorism measures in place. The Terrorism Act 2000 was aimed in large part at reinforcing our response to international terrorism. The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 further strengthens our existing legislation.
	The security and intelligence agencies continue to gather, analyse and assess intelligence, working closely with other agencies, to thwart and disrupt those individuals and organisations involved in the facilitation, preparation or commission of terrorist acts.
	£87 million of additional counter terrorism funding was provided by Home Office in 2002–03 which included £14 million for provincial forces to be administered through the Association of Chief Police Officers. Following on from the Budget on 9 April, I announced an additional £331 million over three years to further enhance our present counter-terrorism measures.

Violence against Women

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research and analysis his Department has commissioned into street violence against women.

Hilary Benn: Police-recorded crime statistics cannot provide information on the proportion of all violent crimes that take place in the street; nor do they provide information on victim characteristics. However information on the location of violence is available from the British Crime Survey (BCS). This found that a quarter of (24 per cent.) all violent crimes took place in the street. The street was the second most common location for violent incidents. The most common location of violence was the home.
	Violent crime measured by the BCS can be classified into four sub-groups: domestic, mugging, stranger and acquaintance violence. Women were the victims in 81 per cent. of domestic incidents, 33 per cent. of acquaintance violence incidents, 18 per cent. of incidents of stranger violence and 43 per cent. of muggings.
	Source:
	British Crime Survey 2001–02. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 7/02.
	Half of muggings and a quarter of violence involving stranger and acquaintance took place in the street compared to just six per cent. of incidents that could be classified as domestic violence. Separate figures are not published for men and women.
	Source:
	British Crime Survey 2001–02. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 1/03.
	
		Table 1: Location of violent incidents, 2001–02 BCS interviews -- BCSPercentages
		
			  All violence Domestic Mugging Stranger Acquaintance 
		
		
			 Around the home(9) 27 75 22 5 16 
			 Around work(10) 8 3 1 8 16 
			 Street(11) 24 6 49 25 25 
			 Pub or club(12) 21 3 8 38 23 
			 Transport(13) 4 (14)— 8 7 2 
			 Other location 15 13 12 16 17 
			   
			 Unweighted 1440 252 235 511 442 
		
	
	(9) Includes home premises, whether inside or outside or garage/shed, home car park or nearby street to home.
	(10) Includes work premises, whether inside or outside or work garage/car park.
	(11) Includes streets near to work/college/sports ground/public entertainment/train or tube stations/subways/park/open spaces/waste/street markets etc.
	(12) Includes pubs' and clubs' premises whether inside or in nearby streets or car parks.
	(13) Includes train/tube/bus stations, airports. In 2000 'transport' also included travelling in a car or taxi.
	(14) Indicates that there were no incidents in this category.
	Source:
	2001–02 BCS interviews covering crime in the 12 months prior to interview. Excludes 'don't knows'.
	In addition to the annual British Crime Survey, the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate commissions other research relevant to the study of street violence.
	So far in 2003 the Home Office has published two relevant studies, although neither focus exclusively on women. Home Office Research Study 254 looks at the nature of personal robbery and examined over 2,000 robbery reports in seven police forces areas. Women made up 24 per cent. of robbery victims and six per cent. of offenders. Of those who were victims of robberies, women were more likely than men to be victims of 'snatch robberies': Seven out of 10 robberies where the victim was a women involved property being snatched or grabbed from their person.
	Secondly, Home Office Research Study 265 is an evaluation of the TASC project which aimed to reduce alcohol-related violence and disorder, much of which takes place on the streets. This found that 17 per cent. of victims of violence and 12 per cent. of those arrested were women. The report identifies a number of examples of good practice in tackling this form of crime and disorder.
	Copies of the Research Development and Statistics Directorate's annual work programme since 1998–99 are in the House of Commons Library. A full list of Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate's publications is available from the website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Affordable Housing

Helen Southworth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he will take to ensure that where developers gain planning consent for affordable housing for (a) rent and (b) sale, such housing is retained in the affordable sector for subsequent tenants.

Tony McNulty: Circular 6/98, "Planning and Affordable Housing", advises that both conditions and planning obligations may legitimately be used, where justified, to achieve the development and use of land in a way which ensures that the affordable housing is occupied, either initially or in perpetuity, only by people falling within particular categories of need for affordable housing.

Bus Drivers (Shrewsbury)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many bus drivers based in Shrewsbury were subjected to (a) verbal and (b) physical attacks in the last year.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on assaults on bus staff is provided to the Department by a sample of the largest bus operators. The sample is not large enough to permit estimates to be made for individual towns.

Growth Areas

Llew Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to paragraph 3.119 of Budget 2003, HC500, how the Government will work closely with regional and local partners to deliver infrastructure, economic development and regeneration in growth areas; and what steps they will take to strengthen local delivery mechanisms to achieve these policy arms.

Tony McNulty: The Sustainable Communities Plan, published by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 5 February 2003, sets out some of the ways in which Government will work with regional and local partners to realise the potential of the growth areas.
	The regional planning bodies and local authorities have started work on translating the development proposals for the growth areas into revisions of regional planning guidance so that they set out agreed levels of housing provision and how growth can be delivered. These proposals will be the subject of consultation and testing through examination in public.
	New regional steering and delivery groups have been established to bring local and regional partners together to co-ordinate programmes. These include the Regional Development Agencies, English Partnerships and other public sector agencies.
	Additional local delivery mechanisms will also be required to co-ordinate, focus and drive forward major new developments, maximising private sector investment. Consultation is taking place with local authorities and other partners to consider the best approach for each locality to promote development. Any new arrangements will need to be fit for purpose and will operate with the full involvement of the local partners. Various mechanisms are available as no single approach will be suitable in all circumstances.
	Over the next three years £446 million will be made available for the Thames Gateway and £164 million for the other growth areas. These resources include an element for setting up and running the local delivery vehicles, as well as site assembly and remediation of brownfield land, and essential local infrastructure. The Planning Delivery Grant will also offer extra resources in the growth areas to help local planning authorities better manage and progress the development process.
	These resources cannot pay for all the infrastructure needed to facilitate growth—for example, major transport projects, education and health and private investment.
	Government Departments are working together on the needs of the growth areas and with the private sector to look at sources of funding. Alongside other priorities, the Department for Transport is considering the longer-term transport infrastructure needs of the growth areas as part of its review of the 10-Year Transport Plan.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

Jon Trickett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many houses in multiple occupation there are in (a) Hemsworth, (b) Yorkshire and (c) England.

Tony McNulty: Information on numbers of houses in multiple occupation in each local authority area in England is collected as part of the annual Housing Investment Programme round. Data are not available at parliamentary constituency level. The most recently reported figures were as follows:
	
		Number of Houses in Multiple Occupation as at 1 April 2002
		
			  
		
		
			 Wakefield metropolitan city council 432 
			 Local authorities in Yorkshire(15) 22,100 
			 Local authorities in England 407,800 
		
	
	(15) Councils in North Yorkshire and the former metropolitan counties of North and South Yorkshire.

Housing Bill

Jon Trickett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of the proposals contained in the draft Housing Bill on domestic gas safety.

Tony McNulty: The provisions in Parts 2 and 3 of the draft Housing Bill will enable local housing authorities to impose conditions for the proper management of houses and flats that are subject to licensing. This will raise health and safety standards in part because a licence condition may include a requirement to carry out gas safety checks. Such a condition will reinforce the current statutory requirement that a landlord carries out an annual inspection of gas appliances and fittings in any property that he lets, under The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
	Under Part 5 of the Bill, anyone marketing a home will be required to produce a Home Information Pack, including a Home Condition Report. That report will include an informed opinion on the condition of services, including gas, based on a visual inspection. This should go a long way towards ensuring that potential hazards or safety issues are drawn to the attention of both the seller and any prospective buyer.

Local Authorities (Development Plans)

Llew Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to paragraph 3.125 of Budget 2003, HC500, what incentive he will give to local authorities to encourage them to allow land allocated for industrial or commercial use in their development plans; and how greater help to planning authorities in negotiating planning obligations will be given.

Tony McNulty: Some local planning authorities have allocations of land for employment and other uses which cannot realistically be taken up in the quantities envisaged over the lifetime of their development plan. The Government regard this as a wasted resource, especially in areas of high demand for housing. Local planning authorities should review all their non-housing allocations, and unless a convincing case for retention can be made, look favourably on housing or mixed use proposals on suitable sites. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister proposes to support this policy on appeal, and intends to issue updated guidance on planning obligations shortly.

Local Authority Social Housing Grant

Phil Willis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the additional transitional funding for LASHG announced by his Department on 5 March 2003 is in addition to the £97million of Approved Development Programme announced in the Communities Plan on 5 February 2003.

Tony McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced an additional £111 million of LASHG transitional funding, to safeguard schemes that could have gone ahead in 2003–04. This is in addition to the £175 million announced in the Communities Plan. The additional resources will be found from within current departmental provision.

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

John Battle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the areas supported by the recently announced funding package of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Roche: The following current 88 eligible areas for the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit Fund which will continue to receive additional funding for 2004–05 and 2005–06, are as follows.
	
		Neighbourhood Renewal Fund Allocations -- £
		
			 Local authority names 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Allerdale 0.855494 0.855494 
			 Ashfield 0.963610 0.963610 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1.632728 1.632728 
			 Barnsley 5.444138 5.444138 
			 Barrow-in-Furness 1.838382 1.838382 
			 Birmingham 22.043488 22.043488 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 4.334824 4.334824 
			 Blackpool 3.007888 3.007888 
			 Bolsover 1.468832 1.468832 
			 Bolton 5.425706 5.425706 
			 Bradford 9.811898 9.811898 
			 Brent 2.279124 2.279124 
			 Brighton & Hove 1.368876 1.368876 
			 Bristol 3.565266 3.565266 
			 Burnley 1.273270 1.273270 
			 Camden 4.218670 4.218670 
			 Coventry 5.289550 5.289550 
			 Croydon 0.581248 0.581248 
			 Derby 3.250468 3.250468 
			 Derwentside 1.482310 1.482310 
			 Doncaster 8.789850 8.789850 
			 Dudley 1.520564 1.520564 
			 Ealing 0.917076 0.917076 
			 Easington 4.433270 4.433270 
			 Enfield 1.859594 1.859594 
			 Gateshead 4.642852 4.642852 
			 Great Yarmouth 1.987230 1.987230 
			 Greenwich 3.881452 3.881452 
			 Hackney 11.765406 11.765406 
			 Halton 3.928410 3.928410 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1.033290 1.033290 
			 Haringey 5.334814 5.334814 
			 Hartlepool 3.137518 3.137518 
			 Hastings 1.375160 1.375160 
			 Hydnburn 1.293636 1.293636 
			 Islington 6.270020 6.270020 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1.080670 1.080670 
			 Kerrier 1.610488 1.610488 
			 Kingston upon Hull 7.507272 7.507272 
			 Kirklees 2.992056 2.992056 
			 Knowsley 7.390938 7.390938 
			 Lambeth 2.421686 2.421686 
			 Leeds 8.395582 8.395582 
			 Leicester 8.376970 8.376970 
			 Lewisham 2.452506 2.452506 
			 Lincoln 0.400000 0.400000 
			 Liverpool 20.132706 20.132706 
			 Luton 1.509866 1.509866 
			 Manchester 20.595082 20.595082 
			 Mansfield 2.298642 2.298642 
			 Middlesbrough 5.249302 5.249302 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 6.843050 6.843050 
			 Newham 13.331960 13.331960 
			 North Tyneside 3.073580 3.073580 
			 Nottingham 9.245880 9.245880 
			 Oldham 4.673976 4.673976 
			 Pendle 1.960942 1.960942 
			 Penwith 0.829146 0.829146 
			 Plymouth 2.114140 2.114140 
			 Portsmouth 0.956660 0.956660 
			 Preston 2.520434 2.520434 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3.472138 3.472138 
			 Rochdale 4.877998 4.877998 
			 Rotherham 3.668606 3.668606 
			 Salford 5.440814 5.440814 
			 Sandwell 8.050568 8.050568 
			 Sedgefield 1.138926 1.138926 
			 Sefton 5.631300 5.631300 
			 Sheffield 9.580862 9.580862 
			 South Tyneside 5.382194 5.382194 
			 Southampton 0.861780 0.861780 
			 Southwark 7.912358 7.912358 
			 St Helens 3.873114 3.873114 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 3.852204 3.852204 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 4.033744 4.033744 
			 Sunderland 7.163770 7.163770 
			 Tameside 1.340230 1.340230 
			 Tower Hamlets 10.623640 10.623640 
			 Wakefield 4.439314 4.439314 
			 Walsall 7.121950 7.121950 
			 Waltham Forest 2.553490 2.553490 
			 Wandsworth 0.400000 0.400000 
			 Wansbeck 1.379330 1.379330 
			 Wear Valley 1.706214 1.706214 
			 Westminster 1.497296 1.497296 
			 Wigan 2.725242 2.725242 
			 Wirral 5.075192 5.075192 
			 Wolverhampton 5.928270 5.928270 
			 Totals 400.000 400.000

Private Landlords

Jon Trickett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of private landlords in (a) Hemsworth, (b) Yorkshire and (c) England.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Private Landlords

Jon Trickett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of the likely uptake by local authorities of the power to selectively license private landlords.

Tony McNulty: The draft Housing Bill sets out a discretionary selective licensing power for local authorities, and the extent of take-up would therefore depend on decisions by individual local authorities in due course. Responses to the 2001 consultation on selective licensing indicated that 50 local authorities in England were in favour. For the purposes of the Regulatory Impact Assessment published with the draft Bill, we made the assumption that selective licensing would be taken up by a majority of local authorities in areas of low housing demand, and that 75 per cent. of low demand dwellings would be likely to be required to obtain a licence.

Regulatory Reform

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received about the Regulatory Reform (Assured Periodic Tenancies) (Rent Increases) Order.

Tony McNulty: Officials at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have answered a number of questions, mainly from registered social landlords, about the use and completion of new prescribed forms of rent increase notice applying the new rule on the timing of rent increases in the Regulatory Reform (Assured Periodic Tenancies) (Rent Increases) Order 2003.

Wind Turbines

David Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he plans to amend planning policy guidance so that the five kilometre distance recommended between offshore wind turbines and people's homes is applied to onshore turbines also.

Tony McNulty: The annex on Wind Energy in Policy Planning Guidance Note 22 (PPG22) already contains guidelines about various factors which should be taken into consideration in relation to wind turbine location, including suggestions about turbine separation distances from residential dwellings, specifically in relation to noise. However, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to consult on a revision to the planningguidance later this year.

Wind Turbines

David Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the method used by his Department to assess the likely noise impact on local residents of a planned onshore wind turbine.

Tony McNulty: Paragraphs 39–47 within the annex on Wind Energy in Policy Planning Guidance Note 22 contain guidelines about noise levels in relation to wind turbines. The guidelines include a table comparing the noise in decibels generated by a windfarm at 350 metres to that generated by other everyday activities.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Age Discrimination

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps the Department is taking to address the issue of age discrimination.

Rosie Winterton: My Department is committed to creating an inclusive employment environment that will attract and retain staff of all ages. Following the recommendations in the Performance and Innovation Unit Report, "Winning the Generation Game" in 2000, my Department has integrated age into its equal opportunities policies.
	A wide range of flexible work options to support changing lifestyle needs is available to all staff and the feasibility of extending the current retirement age is being explored. The issues facing older people in the work place were addressed on the mandatory Diversity Awareness Training programme for all staff in 2002, and age thresholds have been removed from the job selection process to ensure that all staff are promoted on merit.
	My Department began to gather information on staff by age in 2002 and publishes figures annually as part of its Equality and Diversity Annual Report. 29.7 per cent. of staff in my Department are currently over the age of 50 and 18.8 per cent. of staff are under 29.